Rutgers has fired coach Chris Ash amid a 1-3 start that includes two shutouts.
Athletic director Pat Hobbs said the shakeup also includes the dismissal of second-year offensive coordinator John McNulty.
“We appreciate Chris’s dedicated efforts on behalf of our football program, our department and our university,” Hobbs said in a statement. “This change is especially difficult because of the steadfast commitment that Chris and his family have made to our student-athletes. Progress has been achieved in many areas, but, unfortunately, that progress has not been realized on the field of play. As such, it is in the best interest of the program to make a change.”
Tight ends coach Nunzio Campanile will serve as interim head coach for the rest of the season.
Ash is 8-32 in three-plus seasons, with his best season being 4-8 in 2017. The Scarlet Knights won one game last season and have lost three consecutive games after opening this season with a win over Massachusetts. Rutgers was outscored 82-0 in Big Ten losses to Iowa and Michigan.
The Scarlet Knights have lost 14 consecutive conference games, dating to late in the 2017 season, and have failed to score more than 17 points in any of those losses.
Ash, 45, arrived at Rutgers for his first head coach position after a successful stint as co-defensive coordinator at Ohio State (2014-15). He previously was the defensive coordinator at Arkansas (2013) and Wisconsin, where he worked from 2010-12.
Rutgers owes Ash about $8.47 million as a buyout on this contract, which ran through the 2022 season, according to NJ.com. The school owes McNulty about $900,000.
Rutgers hosts Maryland on Saturday in Piscataway, N.J.
