Football Scoop writer Zach Barnett is writing a series of the 20 most important hires in college football. At number six he listed new defensive coordinator, Chris Ash. Head coach Tom Herman brought Chris Ash on after relieving Todd Orlando of his duties prior to the Valero Alamo Bowl against Utah. Ironically enough, Orlando made the list of most important hires at number seven.
So why is Ash so important to the success of Texas?
You never want to draw too many conclusions off of one game, particularly a game where the coach we’re talking about didn’t even coach. But let’s examine the 2019 Alamo Bowl.
As the clock (literally) wound down on the worst decade in the program’s modern history, Texas put together one of its best defensive performances of the 2010s. The ‘Horns limited Utah to 3.5 yards per rush, 5.5 yards per pass attempt, collected five sacks, racked up 21 yards in TFLs on rushing downs, won 10 of 14 third downs, permitted just 15 first downs and just generally kicked tail in a 38-10 win.
After playing off the ball all season, rising junior Joseph Ossai generated first-round hype in moving to an edge position in the ‘Horns’ new 4-down front, earning game MVP honors with nine tackles, six TFLs and three sacks.
The Longhorns were in desperate need of a change. The team made the Sugar Bowl the year prior and defeated a very talented Georgia Bulldogs team that was coming off a National Championship appearance the year prior. It was clear that Orlando had worn out his welcome. Following the season, defensive lineman Malcolm Roach claimed that the scheme under Orlando who came over with Herman from Houston actually did the team a disservice.
That style of play didn’t transfer to the NFL and the NFL didn’t understand what type of player this guy was. Or what type of player they would be getting because of the scheme we ran. I just feel 3-4 didn’t let us showcase our abilities the way we wanted to. But we understood why we were running it. I feel the 4-3 will help those guys to show their talents and more people will come out of Texas.”
We have already heard about the changes on the defense with DeMarvion Overshown moving from his safety spot to the weakside linebacker. Joseph Ossai will move from linebacker to more of an edge rusher. In the game against the Utes, Longhorns staff and fans saw just how impactful he can be when getting into the backfield.
For this reason alone, the Ash hire is extremely important. With the offenses in the Big 12, the Longhorns need to find a way to slow them down a bit. With an emphasis on getting to the quarterback this offseason, the Longhorns defense could be a huge difference maker and the man leading that charge will be Chris Ash.