COLUMBUS, Ohio -- If Chris Ash needs some input about his new coaching job, the guy who rebuilt the program and took Rutgers to its greatest heights is just down the hall.

As Greg Schiano settles in and tries to get to know the personnel he’s about to be working with in the Ohio State secondary as a co-defensive coordinator, the man who has turned that unit into one of the best in the nation is also still around for feedback.

There are clearly positives for both parties as they share space in the Woody Hayes Athletic Center this month ahead of the BattleFrog Fiesta Bowl. But in what amounts to a delayed version of "Trading Places," neither Ash nor Schiano can deny that the interactions between them, thanks to their ties to Rutgers and the unusual work environment they are currently sharing, can be a little strange.

“I’m in a different office,” Schiano said with a smile. “But we’ve seen a lot of each other over these past six days. Every way I can help him, I’ve tried to, and he’s done the same. I’m going to be coaching guys that he coached, and he’s trying to help me get up to speed with them. It’s been a really good thing.

“I guess it’s odd, with Rutgers being involved and Chris at Ohio State, but nothing in this business really surprises you. You know, it’s about relationships and being in the place where you feel you can make the biggest impact.”

Greg Schiano has already started at Ohio State before his predecessor leaves -- for a job he held four years ago. Grant Halverson/Getty Images

For the time being, that’s in the same building and working with the Buckeyes, though there has been certainly been some talk about Rutgers between a coach who guided that program for more than a decade and the one who was just hired to take over there.

Schiano hasn’t been in charge at Rutgers for four years, since leaving for the NFL and a two-year stint with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but his successful tenure with the Scarlet Knights still looms large and makes him an invaluable resource for Ash. Immediately after accepting the job to take over for Kyle Flood and laying out his plans to build a contender in the Big Ten, Ash was already pointing to his existing relationship with Schiano as a useful tool for him and singing praises for the job he did with Rutgers.

Less than a week later, Ash and Schiano were both in Columbus and handling responsibilities with a different program as Ash is honoring his commitment to stick with the Buckeyes through their New Year's Day matchup against Notre Dame.

“It’s been fine -- it’s been great, to be honest with you,” Ash said. “I was fortunate enough to be able to build a relationship with Greg during my two years here, and he’s had a great relationship with coach [Urban] Meyer and been around here several times. I’ve picked up the phone and called him on a lot of things, and he’s been a great resource for me. I think it will work out great here, having him on staff.

“From an outsider looking in, having Greg and I standing here together, me going out to go to Rutgers and him coming in to take my job here at Ohio State looks odd, looks a little challenging. But it’s been fine.”

Despite the unique circumstances and Rutgers looming as an elephant in Ohio State’s defensive meeting room, in many ways the dynamic could prove quite helpful for both coaches as they try to hit the ground running.

Ash has a full plate as he tries to hire a coaching staff, put together a recruiting plan for the Scarlet Knights and keep committed players on board while trying to help the Buckeyes put together a game plan against Notre Dame.

New Rutgers coach Chris Ash is juggling two jobs through the Buckeyes' bowl game against Notre Dame. AP Photo/Jay LaPrete

And while Schiano won’t be on the sidelines for the Fiesta Bowl, he can potentially pick up some of that slack in preparing the Buckeyes while having direct access to the coach who overhauled the Buckeyes' pass coverage and can provide the most detailed scouting report possible on the defensive backs he will inherit.

Obviously the stars don’t usually align quite like they have at Ohio State, and the chances of it ever happening exactly that way are pretty slim. But it’s looking like a win-win for Schiano and Ash -- and Ohio State and Rutgers.

“At this stage of my career, this is what’s best for me and my family and I’m glad it’s been a fit with coach Meyer and Ohio State,” Schiano said. “I’ve gotten to know coach Ash because I’ve come here to visit the last couple years, and he’s an excellent football coach.

“I’ll try to help him any way I can with him going to Rutgers. He’ll do a great job.”

The seal of approval went both ways. And if anybody knows what it takes to get their old jobs done at the top level, it’s Schiano and Ash -- a couple guys who, for now, just so happen to be working down the hall from each other.