Chris Ash

PISCATAWAY, N.J. — Chris Ash’s tenure as Rutgers coach is over after three-plus seasons that resulted in only three Big Ten victories.

Athletic director Pat Hobbs announced Sunday that Ash had been fired four games into his fourth season, with the Scarlet Knights showing little progress. Rutgers (1-3, 0-2 Big Ten) was embarrassed 52-0 by Michigan on Saturday. The Scarlet Knights went 1-11 last season and have not won a Big Ten game since 2017, losing 14 straight to conference foes and 16 in a row to Power Five teams.

The 45-year-old Ash posted an 8-32 record, including a 3-26 mark in the conference Rutgers joined in 2014, two years before Ash was hired.

“We appreciate Chris’s dedicated efforts on behalf of our football program, our department and our University,” Hobbs said in a statement released by the school on Sunday afternoon. “This change is especially difficult because of the steadfast commitment that Chris and his family have made to our student-athletes. Progress has been achieved in many areas, but, unfortunately, that progress has not been realized in the field of play. As such, it is in the best interest of the program to make a change.”

Hobbs also announced offensive coordinator John McNulty has been fired and tight ends coach Nunzio Campanile will serve as interim head coach for the remainder of the season. Rutgers will host Maryland on Saturday.

A national search for the next coach will begin immediately, Hobbs said.

Rutgers hired Ash, an Ottumwa native and Drake University graduate, as a first-time head coach in 2016, fresh off a stint as Ohio State’s defensive coordinator under Urban Meyer. He helped the Buckeyes win the 2014 national championship.

Ash took over a program mired in off the field issues, including several arrests and an academic scandal involving former coach Kyle Flood.

As part of his buyout, Rutgers will owe Ash approximately $8.47 million, with part of his $2.3 million salary from this year still to be paid and the $7.5 million he’s owed through the 2022 season.

Ash played defensive back at Drake before spending three seasons on the Bulldogs’ coaching staff from 1997-1999. He was on Iowa State’s staff from 2000-2006 and went to San Diego State for two seasons before returning to Ames for another year.

He was on staff at Wisconsin and Arkansas prior to his two years at Ohio State.