Dave Doeren and Chris Ash: Old Friends Reunite

RALEIGH — As he works to get his NC State team ready for a daunting road trip to South Bend, Indiana, Dave Doeren's week will be filled with memories of days gone by because of a unique connection to the Notre Dame program.

Doeren and Fighting Irish defensive coordinator Chris Ash have a relationship stretching back over thirty years. After coming up through the coaching ranks together, they went their separate ways. Football has a way of bringing people together, whether it's as colleagues or as opponents.

On Saturday, the Wolfpack and Fighting Irish will battle it out while the two coaches remember their history together fondly from opposite sidelines.

Growing Up Together

Dave Doeren at Wisconsin — Dec 29, 2010; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Wisconsin Badgers defensive coordinator Dave Doeren at a press conference for the 2010 Rose Bowl at the Marriott in downtown Los Angeles. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Doeren and Ash first met during their time as players at Drake University in Iowa. The pair moved into coaching together after their playing days, both becoming assistants for the Bulldogs in the late 1990s. When asked about memories of their early days together, Doeren remembered how different life was.

"We were all working together at Drake and taking care of the locker room. We remodeled the locker room, we used to go out and mow the grass and paint the fields and it was a one-stop shop," Doeren said. "You had to drive the bus, you had to cut up the film, you had to coach your guys, you had to recruit an area. You did everything."

Dec 29, 2011; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Wisconsin Badgers co-defensive coordinator Chris Ash at press conference for the 2012 Rose Bowl at the Marriott Los Angeles Downtown. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Wolfpack head coach found himself reminiscing about road trips around the Southwest. He and Ash bounced from school to school on their spring breaks, learning as much as they could about the sport. The pair learned what it meant to be football coaches before turning 30. They had a little fun, too.

"We learned from the bottom up how it is to coach football together. We used to go on road trips and study football at other places and on our spring break, we'd drive to Oklahoma and see Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. We drive down to Dallas and see TCU or somebody else, and have a good time," Doeren said.

Reuniting with the Badgers

Sep 17, 2011; Chicago, IL, USA; Northern Illinois Huskies head coach Dave Doeren looks on during the game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Soldier Field. Wisconsin defeated Illinois 49-7. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Doeren left Drake after the 1997 season to join the staff at Southern California. Both Doeren and Ash bounced around in a variety of different assistant roles at power conference and group-of-five schools for many years. The pair reunited at Wisconsin when Ash joined Bret Bielema's staff in Madison for the 2010 season.

"Then we were at Wisconsin together. Different. Now we're married with kids and trying to make a name for ourselves in the profession," Doeren said.

Doeren served as the linebackers coach and defensive coordinator while Ash coached the defensive backs. The 2010 Wisconsin defense was one of Doeren's best defenses, in his own opinion. He's not wrong. Led by star defensive end J.J. Watt and safety Aaron Henry, the Badgers won 11 games and made the Rose Bowl game, losing to TCU.

2010 Rose Bow — ORG XMIT: (filename} Wisconsin Badgers running back John Clay (32) breaks away from a TCU defender for a huge gain, setting up a touchtown in the 4th quarter in a 21-19 loss \t during the 97th Rose Bowl game between the Wisconsin Badgers and TCU in Pasadena, California, Saturday, January 1, 2011. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Photo by Rick Wood. RWOOD@JOURNALSENTINEL.COM | Rick Wood / USA TODAY NETWORK

During their time with the Badgers, Doeren realized just how talented his friend was as a coach.

"He was always just so dialed in, Chris was. You go in and present all the formations and all the things they could do and the route concepts and the splits and the tendencies and protections, and it was a great right hand to have, you know, because we'd sit in there and argue about things too and come out with the best solution," Doeren said.

Brother vs. Brother?

The pair of coaches doesn't have much history facing one another. Doeren could only think of one instance in which the pair were on opposite sidelines or coaching booths. When Doeren left to become the head coach at Northern Illinois, his Huskies faced Ash, now elevated to Doeren's old job as the defensive coordinator for the Badgers, in 2011.

"We played Wisconsin, and it didn't go well. Russell Wilson was actually the quarterback for Wisconsin that year. That year, they won the Rose Bowl and Chris was the defensive coordinator. We played him in Soldier Field, but that's the last time I've coached against him," Doeren recalled.

Nov 18, 2017; Winston-Salem, NC, USA; A North Carolina State Wolfpack helmet lays on the sidelines during the game against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at BB&T Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-Imagn Images | Jeremy Brevard-Imagn Images

For the first time in over a decade, Doeren and his old friend will face off. The NC State coach said they won't talk during the week, but they have stayed in touch throughout the season. But the old friends will be enemies for 60 minutes on Saturday afternoon.

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