Chris Ash

AUSTIN, Texas — Texas hired former Rutgers football coach Chris Ash as its defensive coordinator Tuesday as Tom Herman rebuilds his staff following a 7-5 regular season that fell short of expectations.

Ash, the Ottumwa native who was fired at Rutgers this season, was the defensive co-coordinator at Ohio State in 2014 when the Buckeyes won the national championship and Herman was offensive coordinator.

Herman fired defensive coordinator Todd Orlando and demoted offensive coordinator Tim Beck on Dec. 1. The Longhorns ranked near the bottom nationally in several major defensive categories this season and Texas fell back into the middle of the pack in the Big 12 a year after winning 10 games.

Ash was a defensive coordinator at Wisconsin and Arkansas before his stint with Herman at Ohio State. His record as head coach at Rutgers was 8-32 and he was dismissed just a few games into the 2019 season.

Herman and Ash also worked together as assistants at Iowa State in 2009.