In a move that had been rumored for over a week, the Washington Huskies officially announced the hire of former Purdue head coach Ryan Walters as the team’s new defensive coordinator on Friday morning. Walters will replace Steve Belichick, who spent one season with the team and is expected to join his father in the same role at North Carolina.
“Today, Washington Football added a tremendous defensive coach and person to our program,” Jedd Fisch said in a press release. “Hiring Ryan Walters allows us to continue to build on the foundation of the 2024 defense while continuing to grow and improve. His experience in the Big Ten Conference was vital in this hire, along with having deep family ties in the Seattle area. Amber and I are excited to welcome Ryan, Tara, and their two boys into our Husky Family.”
Although Walters struggled as a head coach with the Boilermakers, going 5-19 over two years in the Big Ten, he has a strong resumé as a defensive coordinator. After spending five years in the SEC at Missouri, acting as a co-defensive coordinator in 2016 and 2017 before taking the full-time role for the next three seasons, he traveled to Illinois and quickly became one of the most popular names in the country.
In his final season at Illinois in 2022, his defense was dominant. It finished No. 1 in the nation in scoring, allowing an average of 12.3 points per game, and No. 2 in total defense, surrendering 263.8 yards per contest. It also produced four NFL players, including three defensive backs, headlined by Seattle Seahawks star cornerback and top-five NFL draft pick Devon Witherspoon.
Washington’s announcement didn’t specify whether Walters, who has a background as a defensive backs coach, will also take over as the team’s safeties coach after Vinnie Sunseri, who held the position in 2024, left for the defensive coordinator job at Jacksonville State.