Marcus Freeman and suffering? They’re practically attached at the hip these days. It’s been ages—nearly 30 years—since the program’s been this good! But that championship loss? Ouch. Talk about pressure. The transfer portal stings, sure, but losing your ride-or-die staff? That’s a gut punch. And the irony? As Freeman tries to steady the ship, his moves seem to be backfiring big time, making things worse.

What was Notre Dame’s key strength in the past season? Their defense! But when their defensive coordinator Al Golden left for the Cincinnati Bengals, things took a turn for the worse for Marcus Freeman. Losing a person who led a team that just gave up 15.5 points per game last year is not easy. But despite that, he is moving forward with his new addition, former Rutgers coach Chris Ash, who is filling up for Golden. But even that’s becoming Freeman’s worst nightmare.

Well, speaking to College Football Addiction, Joe DeLeone said, “The reason why this isn’t exciting—I’m from New Jersey, I live in New Jersey, I used to train with a ton of Rutgers guys, and none of them had anything good to say about him….But I asked a ton of these guys I was training with; I always asked, like, ‘Oh, what did you think of Chris Ash? Did you like playing for him?’ Not a single positive comment.”

See, it’s evident that Ash didn’t have a stellar run, leading Rutgers (8-33), but that doesn’t mean that the 51-year-old is no good. “It’s not like he did anything so wrong. It’s just they all didn’t like his personality, and a lot of them didn’t think he exuded the traits of being a very highly successful coach,” Joe added.

To begin with, Ash first made a name for himself as co-defensive coordinator at Ohio State in 2014. His contribution was instrumental in leading the Buckeyes to a championship victory, dominating both Alabama and Oregon. He helped shape a defense known for its toughness, speed, and ruthlessness. After his successful stint at Ohio State, Ash went on to showcase his talents at Wisconsin, Arkansas, and even in the NFL, working with the Jaguars and Raiders. Eventually, he ended up as a scout for the Jacksonville team in 2024. Moreover, he was also part of Texas before joining the Jaguars for four seasons.

Now, Chris Ash is back in college football, with a golden opportunity to bring Notre Dame’s defense back to its old-school, nasty roots. But Joe is still not buying any of that, as he says, “If we look back to when he was the DC for Ohio State, he was sharing those responsibilities with Luke Fickell. Look how far Luke Fickell has gone, and look where Chris Ash has kind of laid into.”

So, Luke Fickell took over as head coach at Wisconsin after his predecessor left. However, things haven’t gone as planned for Fickell and the team. They had a disappointing season, finishing with a 5-7 record and failing to qualify for a bowl game for the first time since 2001. While Fickell is currently in charge, it’s evident that changes need to be made. Despite being in the driver’s seat, he still has the opportunity to turn things around. He must make bold moves because the Fighting Irish’s struggles are snowballing and it’s not getting any better by the day.

More misery on its way to Marcus Freeman’s Notre Dame

Well, looks like Chris Ash is stepping into a challenging situation. We all know that Marcus Freeman has already experienced the departure of key defensive players like Kiser, Watts, and Mills, putting the team in a difficult position. However, there is still hope with Bowen, Shuler, and Ausberry returning. While the defense has the potential to be outstanding, Ash must act swiftly to fill in the gaps and maintain Notre Dame’s competitiveness. The clock is ticking, and Ash will need to demonstrate his skills quickly to sustain any kind of momentum.

As if that wasn’t enough, Marcus Freeman is now facing a significant loss off the field too!

GM Chad Bowden has departed for USC, depriving Notre Dame of a crucial recruiter who played a key role in securing quarterbacks like Leonard and Hartman. Look, Bowden’s reported substantial pay increase, earning triple what he made at Notre Dame, is a significant blow to Freeman as it weakens their recruiting power. But in the world of NIL, it’s not just the players thinking about making money, right?

Moreover, the situation doesn’t look any better in terms of player departures as well. Key additions like Ty Chan have also committed to UConn, and there are indications that two more staff members may be leaving soon. Plus, there are reports that the Chicago Bears are interested in hiring Notre Dame’s offensive line coach, Joe Rudolph. Now, with all these departures, Freeman’s workload just got a lot heavier, and the pressure to keep the program together is mounting.