With two vacancies on his defensive coaching staff, Urban Meyer was reportedly looking to add a former Penn State assistant to fill one of those holes.
Reportedly, Meyer has done just that along with filling the other hole as well.
Citing an unnamed source, Pete Thamel of SI.com is reporting that current Arkansas defensive coordinator Chris Ash (#karma) and ex-Penn State defensive line coach Larry Johnson have accepted positions on Meyer’s Ohio State staff. Ash would serve as co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach while Johnson would hold the same title he did with the Nittany Lions.
Ash will replace Everett Withers, who was named as the head coach at James Madison last month, and Johnson will replace Mike Vrabel, who this month took a job with the NFL’s Houston Texans.
Ohio State is expected to announce the moves as early as today.
Ash comes to Columbus with extensive experience in the Big Ten. Prior to his one season on Bret Bielema‘s Razorbacks coaching staff, Ash spent three seasons as an assistant at Wisconsin. He also worked on the same Iowa State coaching staff as current OSU offensive coordinator Tom Herman.
After spending the past 16 seasons with the Nittany Lions, Johnson parted ways with the program upon the hiring of James Franklin.
(Photo credit: Arkansas athletics)