What Hiring Chris Ash Means, Key Assistant Mike Mickens Stays

Notre Dame names Chris Ash as defensive coordinator while a key assistant decides to remain in South Bend. What this means for the Irish.

Jan 20, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish defensive backs coach Mike Mickens in the huddle with players during a time out against the Ohio State Buckeyes during the CFP National Championship college football game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Chris Ash gets coveted Notre Dame DC Job

After Al Golden announced his intentions to move back to the NFL, many thought that long-time assistant Irish coach and close personal friend of Marcus Freeman, Mike Mickens may be next up for the role. As it turns out, Marcus Freeman wanted a more comprehensive search for this critical position.

When the dust settled, Chris Ash, who comes with a wide-ranging resume that has garnered both positive and negative reviews depending on who you ask, got the job and will soon be moving to South Bend. The next natural question for Irish fans then became, "what about Mike Mickens?"

Mike Mickens is the ultimate safety blanket for Notre Dame

Mike Mickens has done a wonderful job with his cornerback unit at Notre Dame. His ability to identify underrated talent, and recruit and develop players quickly has turned the Irish secondary from what was a multi-decade weakness, into a program strength.

With the news the Mickens will be staying in South Bend with a nice pay bump and possibly even a Co-DC title with Ash, Notre Dame will be able to retain one of its best assistant coaches and one that seems to be in line for the full solo DC role when the Ash era ends, however long that may be.

Retaining Mickens is a huge deal for Notre Dame. The Irish defense is the backbone of the program and Mickens' work is a huge part of the reason why.

This is a huge win for the program and for Marcus Freeman personally. It'll be very interesting moving forward to see what the Irish defense looks like under Ash and to watch Mike Mickens continue to impress with his work in the secondary.

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