AUSTIN, Texas — Former Rutgers coach Chris Ash, who ran the defense while Tom Herman ran the offense on Ohio State's 2014 national title team, is expected to become Herman's new defensive coordinator at Texas, multiple sources told horns247.com.

Two sources close to the situation said Ash has accepted the job. Those sources said Ash might not be announced as Texas’ new defensive coordinator until after national signing day (Dec. 18-20).

Ash would succeed Todd Orlando, who was fired by Herman after a 7-5 season in which an injury-plagued Texas defense was ranked 74th (of 130) in points allowed per game (28.9); 127th in passing yards allowed (306.4 yards per game); 108th in total defense (446.3 ypg); and 102nd in red zone defense (.878).

Ash is known for basing out of a four-man front while playing press-quarters coverage (same as Gary Patterson at TCU).

Herman and Ash worked together at Iowa State in 2009 on Paul Rhoads' staff, when Herman was offensive coordinator and Ash the defensive backs coach.

Ash then joined Bret Bielema’s staff at Wisconsin as defensive backs coach in 2010 before being elevated to defensive coordinator in 2011. Ash followed Bielema to Arkansas as defensive coordinator in 2013 before being hired by Urban Meyer at Ohio State prior to the 2014 season, replacing Everett Withers as co-defensive coordinator with Luke Fickell.

With Ash calling the defense, Ohio State held opponents to 22.0 points per game in 2014, and the Buckeyes’ pass defense climbed from 112th to 29th nationally, allowing 66.9 fewer passing yards per game as the Buckeyes claimed the national title.

Meyer called that year’s defense "as good as I've ever seen" by season's end.

The Ohio State defense improved under Ash in 2015, giving up just 15.1 points per game, leading to Ash being named the head coach at Rutgers in 2016.

Rutgers had been chasing the same success it had under Greg Schiano, who had winning seasons in six of his last seven years at Rutgers from 2005-11, including an 11-win season in 2006, before going on to become head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Kyle Flood replaced Schiano in 2012 and went 27-24 in four seasons before being replaced by Ash, who went 8-32 in three-plus seasons before getting let go after a 1-3 start in 2019. Rutgers officials indicated the determining factor was being outscored 112-16 in losses to Iowa (30-0), Boston College (30-16) and Michigan (52-0) in Ash’s last three games as head coach.

Ash is owed a buyout of $8.5 million from Rutgers that will be offset by earnings in a new job.

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Orlando had been Herman’s defensive coordinator the past five seasons (two at Houston, three at Texas) and received a contract extension and raise - from $1.1 million to $1.7 million - after the 2017 season, when Texas held opponents to 21.2 points per game and ranked No. 3 in FBS in third-down defense (.271).

But the defense took a step back in 2018, giving up 25.9 points per game and plummeting to 108th in third-down defense (.443).

Orlando had one year left on his guaranteed contract at $1.7 million.





After Texas barely escaped a 50-48 victory over Kansas on Oct. 19 on a walk-off field goal this season with a defense featuring eight freshmen or sophomores in the starting lineup, Herman said, “If a player has been in our program at least two years, he should be able to play man and quarters coverage.” It seemed to be a shot at Orlando’s defense after giving up 569 yards and 6.6 yards per play against the Jayhawks.



Herman said he isn’t concerned as much about scheme on defense going forward as he is about getting a pass rush on first and second down without blitzing, featuring his defensive linemen more (meaning not slanting them as much to clear paths for blitzes) and allowing players to “swarm and play fast without thinking as much.”

Those demands by Herman for the Texas defense will now be entrusted to Ash, sources told Horns247.

Herman has been looking for a new defensive and offensive coordinator as well as new inside and outside receivers coaches since Dec. 1, when he fired Orlando and outside receivers coach Drew Mehringer, who served as Ash's offensive coordinator for one season at Rutgers (2016), and reassigned offensive coordinator Tim Beck to quarterbacks coach through Texas' Alamo Bowl matchup with Utah and reassigned inside receivers coach Corby Meekins to an administrative position.