One-on-One With Defensive Backs Coach Chris Ash

AMES, Iowa ? Iowa State assistant football coach Chris Ash is detail orientated. A meticulous individual is important to any college football staff. Iowa State head coach Paul Rhoads knows Ash's strengths. That is why Rhoads gave Ash, the Cyclones' secondary coach, additional responsibilities as ISU's recruiting coordinator. Ash's recruiting oversight position means the 1996 Drake graduate must focus on more than just his own assigned recruiting areas.

“Every coach on our staff has a specific area of the country to recruit,” Ash said. “I recruit southeast Iowa, including the Des Moines Metro area, and parts of Southern California. As recruiting coordinator, my responsibilities include working with Coach Rhoads in overseeing the whole recruiting process and to develop a plan that will allow our coaching staff to recruit as a team. Coach Rhoads wants to make sure that all of our coaches are involved with every potential recruit.”

Ash has a lot on his plate, recruiting Iowa and California.

“In California, I concentrate on Los Angeles County, Orange County, Riverside County and San Bernardino County,” Ash said. “In that area alone, there are about 40 Community Colleges that play football in addition to all the high schools.”

Ash honed his knowledge of southern California over the last two years as an assistant coach at San Diego State. Ash had previously coached at Drake and then was on Iowa State's staff from 2000-2006.

Recruiting the state of California has its advantages.

“California is a highly populated state that is really only heavily recruited by one BCS Conference, the Pac-10,” Ash said. “We feel like we can have a significant presence and can sign good players that can help us win in the Big 12.”

The vast number of junior colleges and high schools means there is more talent than BCS scholarships available.

“During the spring evaluation period, I visited approximately 33 junior colleges and 50 some high schools,” Ash said. “Our number one appeal to west coast kids is the opportunity to play in one of the nation's top conferences against some of the top individuals in all of college football.”

The toughest part of recruiting California?

“Just getting around by car is the biggest challenge,” Ash said. “In some other states you can get to seven or eight schools in one day. But with the heavy traffic on the freeways in Southern California, there are times I will travel less distance, but can only get to four or five schools in a day.”

Two other Iowa State football recruiting hotbeds, Texas and Florida, have full contact spring football, which allows coaches to see prospective athletes in game-like conditions. It is different in California.

“In California, there are spring practices, but the workouts are non-padded, shorts-only practices,” Ash said. “Still the combination of junior college talent and high school numbers make it a very productive area to seek future Cyclones.”

Ash went through spring drills with his Iowa State secondary and says there is still work to do in Ames.

“We aren't ready yet,” Ash said. “But we do have some gameday experience in the secondary and right now there is some good competition for every defensive back position as we get ready for fall training camp.”

Ash says the most gratifying part of the coaching experience is the long-term relationships built between coach and player.

“I still talk with guys like Ellis Hobbs, LaMarcus Hicks, Steve Paris and Nick Moser,” said Ash of his former Cyclone secondary pupils. “These are guys who became leaders and helped us win games at ISU.”

Ash knows Iowa State's football future depends on the quality of individual that Rhoads' staff brings to Ames. He is determined that this new era of Cyclone football will be led by the type of winners he still talks to on the phone.

Iowa State University Athletics

One-on-One With Defensive Backs Coach Chris Ash

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