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From the football fields of Ottumwa, Iowa, to the sidelines of college football's biggest stages, Chris Ash has built one of the most impressive coaching résumés in the game. In a remarkably short period of time, he's worked alongside some of the sport's most respected minds—including Urban Meyer, Barry Alvarez, Bret Bielema, Steve Sarkisian, and Marcus Freeman—while also spending time in the NFL with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Las Vegas Raiders.

Chris was the co-defensive coordinator for Ohio State's 2014 College Football Playoff National Championship team before earning the opportunity to become the head coach at Rutgers. Today, he's leading one of college football's premier defenses as the defensive coordinator at Notre Dame.

Join us as we go back to where it all began in southeast Iowa and trace Chris Ash's incredible coaching journey—from Drake University to the Big Ten, the SEC, the NFL, and now South Bend. We'll talk about the mentors who shaped him, the lessons learned along the way, and what it takes to succeed at the highest levels of football.

#notredame #notredamefootball #collegefootball #Iowa #Ottumwa

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Brad, John, and Tab rehash memories the 2026 Riding of the Idiots, ( Ragbrai 2026 ).

- Brad Becomes Deputy in Dunlap Iowa
- We visit Jan Jensen's family bar in Kimbleton Iowa
- Riding the High Trestle Bridge Trail
- Brad and Tab Exists In Parallel Universe
- The absolutely amazing The Dig Inn in Reinbeck Iowa
- Team Solid is late for the party and the reek of disappointment
- John Pulls a GREAT Ragbrai Prank on Brad
- John Carries a Lit Fire Pit
- Field of Dreams
- Wrap Up

#Ragbrai #Ragbrai2026 #Iowa #Bicycle

You can communicate with us at deepdivepod2025@gmail.com or be part of the Deep Dive Community in our Facebook Group Deep Dive Podcast https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1JGiMUC7bq/

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The road to becoming the offensive coordinator at the University of Iowa doesn't usually begin in a high school math classroom. But then again, Tim Lester has never taken the usual path. Before joining the Hawkeyes, Lester's football journey wound through just about every level of the game imaginable. He starred as one of the most prolific quarterbacks in Western Michigan history, played professionally in the XFL and Arena Football League, taught high school math, served as a Division III head coach, led a Division I program at Western Michigan, worked in the NFL with the Green Bay Packers, and ultimately found his way to Iowa City. Along the way, he built a reputation as an innovative offensive mind who sees football through the lens of both a coach and a mathematician.

In this episode, Tim shares stories from that remarkable journey, from growing up in football-rich Wheaton, Illinois, to discovering that his love for the strategy of the game outweighed his original plans to become a teacher. We talk about the numbers behind play-calling, the lessons he learned at every stop along the way, and why taking an unconventional route ultimately prepared him for one of college football's most scrutinized jobs.

Now, as Iowa's offensive coordinator, Lester has become part of one of the sport's most respected coaching lineages. The Hawkeyes' coaching tree stretches back to the legendary Hayden Fry and includes names like Bill Snyder, Barry Alvarez, Bob Stoops, Kirk Ferentz, and countless others who have shaped college football for decades. Tim Lester's story is a reminder that while every branch of that coaching tree grows a little differently, the best coaches often arrive with experiences that are anything but ordinary.

#Iowa #IowaFootball #Football #CollegeFootball

You can communicate with us at deepdivepod2025@gmail.com or be part of the Deep Dive Community in our Facebook Group Deep Dive Podcast https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1JGiMUC7bq/