Ohio State’s Chris Ash tapped as Rutgers’ new football coach

Ohio State defensive coordinator Chris Ash will likely become Rutgers' next football coach, according to a report by Sports Illustrated.com.

On Saturday afternoon, SI reported that Ash, the Buckeyes' co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach for the past two seasons, is finalizing negotiations with Rutgers University management to replace former head coach Kyle Flood, who was fired last Sunday after a 4–8 season.

Ash helped the Buckeyes go 11–1 this season, according to the report, with Ohio State ranking second in the nation in scoring defense (14.0 points per game) this year and 10^th in the nation in total defense (303.5 yards allowed per game).

Prior to Ohio State, Ash served as defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach at Arkansas in 2013. The 41-year-old Iowa native earned earned $590,000 as Ohio State's defensive coordinator, according to SI.

The Asbury Park Press reported on Saturday that “Rutgers paid $1.25 million to Kyle Flood this season – the second-lowest salary in the Power Five – and went to its donors to finance the extra guaranteed compensation, including a $1.4 million buyout, in a two-year contract extension handed out in September 2014.”

The APP report added, “President Robert Barchi indicated from the jump that Rutgers would spend enough to be competitive. The average salary in the Big Ten is $3.2 million.”

Rutgers’ Athletic Director Julie Hermann was fired on Sunday along with Flood, after a scandal-riddled season that included charges that the football team carried out an alleged series of violent break-ins and an alleged unprovoked attack against a student.

Flood was also suspended by the university last September, and received a $50,000 fine, for violating school policy when he discussed a player's grades with a professor, NJ 101.5 reported.