Former Texas football DC Chris Ash likely to join Urban, Jags staff
Not much of the coaching staff for the Texas football program from last season looks to be returning for them out of the 2021 offseason. This is something that was largely anticipated after the Texas program announced the parting ways with now former fourth-year head coach Tom Herman, and the subsequent hiring of former Alabama Crimson Tide offensive coordinator and the reigning Broyles Award winner Steve Sarkisian, back on Jan. 2.
We already know that the former first-year Texas offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich is out of a job on the Forty Acres. And most of the positional coaches are now gone from this program too. One of the most significant moves from the assistants on Herman’s staff from last season, so far this offseason, is the Jacksonville Jagurs bringing aboard the former Longhorns defensive coordinator/safeties coach Chris Ash.
A report on the Twitter timeline of Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports on the morning of Jan. 16 showed that the former Ohio State Buckeyes and Florida Gators three-time National Championship winning head coach Urban Meyer expected Ash to join his staff with the Jags in the NFL. This would be the first time that Ash officially joined an NFL staff in his coaching career to date.
Sources: Chris Ash expected to be part of Urban Meyer’s staff in Jacksonville as a position coach. Ash was Meyer’s DC during the 2014 season when Ohio State won the national title.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) January 16, 2021
Moreover, it was not all that long ago that the current Fox College Football analyst Meyer was on the radar of the Longhorns to become their next head coach. But that pursuit of Meyer to return to the college football coaching ranks ultimately failed for the Texas administration/boosters/regents/etc.
Instead, the Jaguars wound up hiring Meyer earlier this week.
Ash was looking to be on an upward trend as the Texas defensive coordinator heading into what would’ve been his second year with the program. Now that he could be joining Meyer’s staff once again, this time in the NFL ranks, Sark will be left with one less option to fill the defensive coordinator role on his coaching staff.
While Ash’s defense did improve down the stretch last season, they did allow more than 28 points per game (ranking 61st in the FBS). The Texas defense also allowed 406.5 total yards per game and just over five yards per play (both improved marks compared to the 2019 season).
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With Herman and Ash on staff during the 2020 season, the Longhorns finished up with a record of 7-3 (5-3 Big 12), including wins in five of their last six games. Their campaign finished on a high note, as they dominated the Colorado Buffaloes in the Alamo Bowl back on Dec. 29, by the final score of 55-23.