Report: Jaguars to add former Texas DC Chris Ash to staff

After being recently hired as head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Urban Meyer immediately got down to building his staff.

According to a report by Yahoo SportsPete Thamel, Meyer is expected to add former University of Texas defensive coordinator Chris Ash to his squad.

Ash’s most recent role was in Texas as the team’s defensive coordinator, but also as a safety coach, also under Tom Herman in 2020. In 2019, he was an analyst for the Longhorns.

Prior to his time in Texas, Ash was the head coach of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights from 2016 until the end of September 2019. Ash was fired from Rutgers due to poor performance, racking up an overall record of just eight wins and 33 losses.

Prior to taking over in Piscataway, New Jersey with Rutgers, Ash worked for Meyer at Ohio State. He was the defensive co-coordinator with Luke Fickell, and also coached safety for the Buckeyes. This connection is the reason many thought Ash would be a target for Meyer’s staff in Jacksonville.

Similar to Meyer, Ash has no previous coaching experience in the NFL. He has, however, been in the college coaching ranks since 1997, making his debut at his alma mater, Drake University, as a graduate assistant. He took over as defensive coordinator for the Bulldogs the following year and remained there for the 1998 season.

Other coaching stops for Ash include Iowa State, San Diego State, Arkansas, and Wisconsin. He also had a short stint at Princeton, but was only there for spring practice in 1998 before returning to Drake to call up defensive games.

He’s coached defensive backs or especially safeties at almost every save, with the possible exception of his role as head coach with Rutgers or his undefined role as graduate assistant with Drake (he may have -be had direct secondary coaching at these stops, too, but I can’t confirm).