Rutgers finalizing coaching agreement with Chris Ash, per source

Chris Ash, Ohio State’s defensive coordinator is the man that Rutgers has chosen according to reports.

Ash has spent the past two seasons running the Buckeyes’ defense after serving as an assistant under Bret Bielema for four seasons at both Wisconsin and Arkansas, the final three spent as defensive coordinator for the Badgers and Razorbacks.

Ash is in his second season with the Buckeyes after arriving in Columbus to lead a revamp of Ohio State’s defense after the 2013 season.

Ash, the 41-year-old defensive coordinator at Ohio State, is expected to be introduced at a news conference Monday afternoon.

It was not immediately clear if Ash planned to remain at Ohio State through its bowl game. The unit is also ranked 10th in total defense in the NCAA, giving up just 303.5 yards per game.

The Scarlet Knights are reportedly staying within the Big Ten East to find their new head coach. The school is looking for a replacement for Kyle Flood, who was suspended during the season and fired upon its conclusion. He played at Drake and began his coaching career there in 1997 as a graduate assistant and then defensive coordinator. In conjunction with co-DC Luke Fickell, Ash ran an aggressive scheme that focused firstly on disrupting opponents’ passing attacks. Seven football players were arrested in September.