Ash Adds to Defensive Staff
6/14/2007 12:00:00 AM | Football
Rob Ash turned his attention to defense Thursday, bringing a pair of success stories from his coaching past into the Bobcat football future.
Jamie Marshall, Ash’s defensive coordinator at Drake from 2003-06, joins the Bobcat staff in the same position, and takes responsibility for MSU’s linebackers. Noah Joseph comes to MSU as secondary coach after helping lead Eastern Illinois to league titles and Division I Playoff appearances in 2005 and ‘06. Marshall and Joseph played together at Drake from 1995-98.
“I’m excited that Jamie and Noah have joined our coaching staff,” Ash said. “A very important part of this is that they will work very well together,” Ash said. “Jamie and Noah were college teammates that stayed in very close contact with other, and I know that they are eager and excited to work together again.”
Marshall’s Bulldog defense has been one of the stingiest in the nation in points allowed, finishing in the top 10 in Division I FCS in scoring defense in two of the last three seasons. His teams have defended the run (12th in 2004) and pass (10th last fall, 23rd in 2004) with equal proficiency. After a one-season stint in the Iowa prep ranks (1999), Marshall served on Ash’s Drake staff ever since. He was an assistant for three years before serving as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach the past four seasons. He was a two-year All-Pioneer League defensive back for the Bulldogs, earning his bachelor’s degree in 1999.
“Jamie has been with us through some tough times,” Ash said. “He’s seen a lot of different things, working his way up through the ranks as a young assistant and coming up through the evolution of our defense. He saw what worked and what didn’t work, and when I promoted him to coordinator I was really impressed with how he pulled from his experiences in different schemes and under different coordinators to build a very, very effective multiple defense.”
Like Marshall, Joseph played for Ash, earning Academic All-Pioneer League honors as a Bulldog team captain in 1998. After a year in the marketing industry, Joseph began his coaching career at Drake in 2000, moving to Eastern Kentucky (2001) and Iowa State (2002) as a graduate assistant. He became Eastern Illinois’ secondary coach in 2003. EIU finished 16th in I-AA in pass efficiency defense in 2005, while Panther defensive backs intercepted 11 passes and forced five fumbles in 2006.
“Noah has gained tremendous experience since his playing career in some successful programs,” Ash said, “and in his four years at Eastern Illinois his secondary has been very successful. He has seen some different things, and he brings experience coaching teams in the Division I Playoffs. That experience will be valuable for this staff.”
Ash said his defensive coordinator and secondary coach embody what he looks for in coaches. “First, they are guys that have high standards and high expectations for their players,” he said. “They have the right values. They believe in their players, and they coach that way every day. Second, they have a tremendous love for the game of football, a thirst to continue to learn the game. I really appreciate the combination of personality and values.”
MSU’s two newest assistants also bring the tempo and pace that Ash looks for to the Bobcat program. “We want to be fundamentally sound, and to play very, very fast, not in an uncontrolled way but by fitting everything right and flying to the ball. That’s how we build our defense.”
Jamie Marshall, Ash’s defensive coordinator at Drake from 2003-06, joins the Bobcat staff in the same position, and takes responsibility for MSU’s linebackers. Noah Joseph comes to MSU as secondary coach after helping lead Eastern Illinois to league titles and Division I Playoff appearances in 2005 and ‘06. Marshall and Joseph played together at Drake from 1995-98.
“I’m excited that Jamie and Noah have joined our coaching staff,” Ash said. “A very important part of this is that they will work very well together,” Ash said. “Jamie and Noah were college teammates that stayed in very close contact with other, and I know that they are eager and excited to work together again.”
Marshall’s Bulldog defense has been one of the stingiest in the nation in points allowed, finishing in the top 10 in Division I FCS in scoring defense in two of the last three seasons. His teams have defended the run (12th in 2004) and pass (10th last fall, 23rd in 2004) with equal proficiency. After a one-season stint in the Iowa prep ranks (1999), Marshall served on Ash’s Drake staff ever since. He was an assistant for three years before serving as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach the past four seasons. He was a two-year All-Pioneer League defensive back for the Bulldogs, earning his bachelor’s degree in 1999.
“Jamie has been with us through some tough times,” Ash said. “He’s seen a lot of different things, working his way up through the ranks as a young assistant and coming up through the evolution of our defense. He saw what worked and what didn’t work, and when I promoted him to coordinator I was really impressed with how he pulled from his experiences in different schemes and under different coordinators to build a very, very effective multiple defense.”
Like Marshall, Joseph played for Ash, earning Academic All-Pioneer League honors as a Bulldog team captain in 1998. After a year in the marketing industry, Joseph began his coaching career at Drake in 2000, moving to Eastern Kentucky (2001) and Iowa State (2002) as a graduate assistant. He became Eastern Illinois’ secondary coach in 2003. EIU finished 16th in I-AA in pass efficiency defense in 2005, while Panther defensive backs intercepted 11 passes and forced five fumbles in 2006.
“Noah has gained tremendous experience since his playing career in some successful programs,” Ash said, “and in his four years at Eastern Illinois his secondary has been very successful. He has seen some different things, and he brings experience coaching teams in the Division I Playoffs. That experience will be valuable for this staff.”
Ash said his defensive coordinator and secondary coach embody what he looks for in coaches. “First, they are guys that have high standards and high expectations for their players,” he said. “They have the right values. They believe in their players, and they coach that way every day. Second, they have a tremendous love for the game of football, a thirst to continue to learn the game. I really appreciate the combination of personality and values.”
MSU’s two newest assistants also bring the tempo and pace that Ash looks for to the Bobcat program. “We want to be fundamentally sound, and to play very, very fast, not in an uncontrolled way but by fitting everything right and flying to the ball. That’s how we build our defense.”
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