30 Reasons for 30 Days - Day 7: Because of Chris Ash

From now through September 3rd, I am posting a daily reason why it is great to be a fan of Rutgers football. There are a lot more than thirty, but I picked my thirty reasons, and hope you like them. If not, be sure to let me know.

Some articles are easier to write than others. No article is easier to write than this one. I mean, c’mon- why does having Chris Ash make it great to be a Rutgers football fan? Well, how about because of everything?!?

The impact Chris Ash has made upon the landscape at Rutgers since his hiring in December is almost incalculable at this point. The entire program has been turned on its head- in a good way. There isn’t a part of the program upon which you don’t see Chris Ash’s fingerprints: from the color of the paint on the walls in the Hale Center; the food the student-athletes eat; the way in which students are recruited; the look of the dorms given to the athletes; the manner and intensity of workouts; to interactions between the University and high school coaches; I could go on and on. It is astonishing how it has altered the environment at Rutgers.

David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

It is all due to the drive and the persistence of one man- Chris Ash. Of course, he is not doing it alone, he has plenty of help. However, that help is there because he is relentless in asking for help, getting things done, improving the program. It is, of course, a never-ending quest, but if you stop focusing upon it even for one moment you start to fall behind and no one understands that better than the Coach! He also knows how to thank people for what they do as well, which is a critical piece of the puzzle.

Because Chris Ash is new to Rutgers does not mean he doesn’t understand that traditions are important, or that our history doesn’t matter. He continually reaches out to alums for their verbal support as well. Here is an example from just last week:

Other important names in Rutgers football history have been with him since his arrival, some that had not been there previously, including Anthony Davis, Shawn O’Hara, Devin McCourty Jason McCourty, even the father of the Rutgers Rise, Greg Schiano joined him at a camp this spring.

Chris Ash is the man. He has spent the last nine months preparing and is about to deliver his first season of Rutgers football. He is a tireless worker, and perhaps nothing shows it better than a BTN segment broadcast last spring.

To close out the article, I’m going to let Coach speak for himself. He explained to the BTN crew his thoughts when they visited the campus two weeks ago. But it will leave you with no doubt. Chris Ash is a B1G reason why it is great to be a Rutgers football fan!