Texas football has hired former Rutgers coach and Ohio State assistant Chris Ash as defensive coordinator according to a report from 247Sports. Ash replaces Todd Orlando, who was fired after three seasons in Austin. 

Ash served as defensive coordinator at Ohio State on the 2014 national championship team, when Texas head coach Tom Herman was offensive coordinator. He served in the role after successful stints as defensive coordinator at Wisconsin and Arkansas. 

He took the head coaching job at Rutgers in 2016, but mustered just an 8-32 record over four seasons. Ash was fired on Oct. 5, just five games into his fourth season in Piscataway. 

Ash, 45, previously worked for eight years at Iowa State, serving primarily as defensive backs coach over two different stints. He was defensive backs coach at Iowa State in 2009, when Herman joined Paul Rhoads’ staff as offensive coordinator. Reports linked Ash to Texas almost immediately after Orlando was terminated. 

Expectations are high at Texas after a lackluster 2019 season in Austin. The Longhorns fell from 10 wins, a Big 12 championship game appearance and Sugar Bowl win to 7-5 and a berth in the Alamo Bowl against Utah. The Longhorns fell from No. 67 in total defense down to No. 108, largely because of injuries and inexperience in the secondary. 

Ash will have to step in and immediately fix a secondary that ranked No. 127 nationally in passing yards allowed. The Longhorns lose to defensive end Malcolm Roach and top safety Brandon Jones to graduation after the season. 

Herman is also searching for a new offensive coordinator after demoting Tim Beck to quarterbacks coach. Herman has been the primary offensive play caller at Texas over the past two seasons.