Former player praises ‘A-hole’ Notre Dame football DC as a ‘home run hire’
Notre Dame’s new defensive coordinator, Chris Ash, has a reputation for being both tough and skilled.
When Chris Ash was announced as the replacement for Al Golden, the reaction from Notre Dame fans was less than enthusiastic.
It’s understandable that the hire wasn’t met with overwhelming excitement. Despite an extensive and impressive resume, Ash’s teams haven’t always had standout seasons. In fact, he’s struggled as a head coach.
However, Chris Ash is not the head coach of Notre Dame football, but rather the defensive coordinator. Many believe he can excel in this role, improving the Irish players and the defense as a whole. One of those people is Tyvis Powell, a former Ohio State defensive back, who knows Ash well and understands what he brings to the table.
Notre Dame’s DC may not be warm and fuzzy, but he’s highly effective Powell played at Ohio State from 2013 to 2015 under Ash and led the Big Ten in interceptions during the 2014 season. Recently, he shared his thoughts with Irish Sports Daily about the new defensive coordinator, explaining that while Ash can be a tough personality to adjust to, his coaching abilities are undeniable.
“We used to bump heads a lot,” Powell recalled. “Chris Ash was an a-hole, but the problem was I was an a-hole, so we would always clash over stuff.”
Having grown older and wiser, Powell now understands that those clashes were minor, and his coach always had his best interests at heart.
“He was one of the best coaches I’ve ever had. Coach Ash is one of those coaches who helped me understand the game.”
Throughout the interview, Powell describes Ash as a no-nonsense, straightforward