BOZEMAN (AP)
New Montana State football coach Rob Ash announced Thursday that two more of his former players at Iowa’s Drake University have joined his staff. Jamie Marshall was Ash’s defensive coordinator at Drake from 2003-06. He 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 2006. Marshall and Joseph played together at Drake from 1995-98. “I’m excited that Jamie and Noah have joined our coaching staff,” Ash said in a news release. “A very important part of this is that they will work very well together. 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.” Ash, 55, who coached at Drake for the past 18 years, was named MSU’s new football coach on Monday. On Tuesday, he announced that Dale Ploessl has joined his staff at MSU as offensive coordinator. Ploessl played for Ash at Drake and has coordinated the Bulldogs’ running game for the past three seasons. Marshall’s Bulldog defense has finished in the top 10 in Division I FCS in scoring defense in two of the past three seasons. His teams have defended the run (12th in 2004) and pass (10th last fall, 23rd in 2004) with the same proficiency. Marshall spent one season in the Iowa prep ranks, in 1999, and has been 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 twoyear all-Pioneer League defensive back for the Bulldogs, earning his bachelor’s degree in 1999. Joseph earned academic all-Pioneer League honors as a Bulldog team captain in 1998. After a year in the marketing industry, he began his coaching career at Drake in 2000, moving to Eastern Kentucky (2001) and Iowa State (2002) as a graduate assistant. Joseph 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. Ash said Marshall and Joseph 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.”
