Ash's second year brings newfound familiarity. The defense aims to build on last season's strong finish and elevate its game.
Notre Dame is heading into this season with something they haven't had during Marcus Freeman's tenure; they return all three of their coordinators. Offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock returns for his third season in South Bend, special teams coordinator Marty Biagi returns for his fourth season with the Irish and defensive coordinator Chris Ash returns for his second year at the helm of the defense.
The defense got off to a very rough start last season when the Irish lost 27-24 against Miami on the road and followed that up by giving up 41 points to Texas A&M at home and 23 points in the first half against Purdue. From the Arkansas game to the end of the season, we saw a completely different defense. This year, Ash looks to continue to build off of the foundation that was laid in the final eight games of the regular season.
"We're going to still take it slow, because we really want to make sure we hone in on the details," Ash explained. "We need to make sure the guys truly understand all aspects of every call, how to communicate, how to adjust, making sure eyes are right, fundamentally we're sound. There'll be a time that we can speed it up, but our process is to slow it down, do a great job of teaching and being thorough, and then we'll speed it up as we go."
Ash is in a different spot compared to what he was in heading into 2025. Last season, he was the new face on the coaching staff and it took time to get acclimated to the roster and understand their capabilities. This year, he has familiarity with his roster and is significantly farther ahead than where he was at last year. So far this offseason, he's getting acclimated to his new defensive coaching staff.
"At this point last year, I was still getting to know the players," Ash stated. "I was also working on getting to know the coaches as well. We didn't have a lot of time together before things got going. This year, obviously it's a little bit different for me but we still have a lot of new coaches. We have a lot of work to do to try and get on the same page and make sure we know each other. But, it's a different place for me right now just knowing the players and understanding their strength's and weaknesses."
Despite having a stronger foundation in knowing who the players are on defense, that's not stopping Ash and his staff from focusing on development. This unit has the potential to be one of, if not the best defense in the country, but continued elevation from the key players on defense is crucial for their success.
"This year I know what each individual needs from a coaching standpoint," Ash said. "I know what we need to focus on and make sure we emphasize here through the course of spring. Like I said, everybody had some sort of an issue last year, and we want to make sure last year's issues are not today's problems as we go through spring. If they are, then we're not getting the players better. I know what those are. I didn't at this point last year, so it helps me out a lot."
Notre Dame has championship-level goals this season and this is arguably the most talented roster Freeman will have during his time in South Bend. The defense returns two captains and a host of potential star talent. They also return the best cornerback in the country and the biggest defensive line they've had in quite some time. Ash and his staff will play a vital role for success for this program.
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