UW expected to hire Ryan Walters as defensive coordinator

The ex-Purdue coach would replace Steve Belichick.

  • By Bruce Feldman The Athletic
  • Friday, December 27, 2024 1:00pm
  • SportsHuskies

With Washington defensive coordinator Steve Belichick expected to leave after the Sun Bowl against Louisville to join his father at North Carolina, look for Washington to fill the vacancy with Ryan Walters.

The 38-year-old former Purdue head coach’s last stint as a defensive coordinator was from 2021-22 at Illinois, where he was a finalist for the Broyles Award, honoring the nation’s top assistant. Under Walters, the Illini led the nation in scoring defense in 2022 and were No. 2 in yards per play allowed.

247 Sports first reported the news of Walters’ expected hire at Washington. Walters, a defensive back at Colorado in the 2000s, went 5-19 in two years as head coach at Purdue. Prior to his two years at Illinois, he spent five years as an assistant at Missouri.

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