Ryan Walters, the former Purdue coach, was officially announced as Washington’s new defensive coordinator on Friday by UW coach Jedd Fisch. Walters will replace Steve Belichick, who is reportedly joining his father Bill Belichick’s new staff at North Carolina.
“Today, Washington Football added a tremendous defensive coach and person to our program,” Fisch said in a news 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.”
Walters will sign a two-year contract with UW, according to the memorandum of understanding. He will earn $1.4 million during the 2025 season and $1.5 million in 2026.
The news release does not mention whether Walters will also coach safeties at UW. Vinnie Sunseri, who coached the position group for Belichick in 2024, left to become the defensive coordinator at Jacksonville State on Thursday. Walters has coached secondaries throughout his career as an assistant.
Before his two-year stint leading Purdue — the Boilermakers went 5-19 during his tenure — Walters previously served as a defensive coordinator at Missouri and Illinois, becoming a finalist for the Broyles Award as one of the nation’s best assistants with the Fighting Illini in 2022.
Walters enjoyed two successful seasons on Bret Bielema’s staff at Illinois from 2021-22. The Fighting Illini ranked No. 97 in scoring defense and No. 114 in total defense before Walters arrived.
Just two seasons later, Walters led the nation’s top scoring defense, allowing 12.3 points per game. Illinois ranked second in total defense, giving up just 263.8 yards per game, and went 8-5. Walters’ defense gave up a season-high 31 points once, and held 10 of its opponents under 20 points.
Safety Kerby Joseph, currently with the Detroit Lions, was selected as a first-team All-Big Ten player by the media in 2021.
A season later, defensive tackle Jer’Zhan Newton and cornerback Devon Witherspoon earned unanimous first-team All-Big Ten honors. Safety Sydney Brown was named a first-team All-Big Ten player by the coaches, while safety Quan Martin was a second-team All-Big Ten player according to the media. Defensive tackle Keith Randolph Jr. was a third-team All-Big Ten selection by coaches and media.
Witherspoon, a consensus All-American in 2022, became Illinois’ first Jim Thorpe Award finalist as one of the country’s top defensive backs before becoming the Seahawks’ 2023 first-round draft pick. Witherspoon was named to his second Pro Bowl on Thursday.
Before Walters joined Bielema at Illinois, he spent six years at Missouri where he worked for three different coaches. Walters originally joined Gary Pinkel’s staff as a safeties coach in 2015. Pinkel retired in 2015, naming Barry Odom — then Missouri’s defensive coordinator — as his successor.
Odom — who was hired as Walters’ replacement at Purdue on Dec. 8 — added co-defensive coordinator to Walters’ responsibilities in 2016, then promoted him to defensive coordinator in 2018. Odom was fired after the 2019 season, but Walters was retained as defensive coordinator by incoming coach Eliah Drinkwitz for the 2020 campaign.
Before his time at Missouri, Walters coached cornerbacks at Memphis and North Texas. He was a graduate assistant at Oklahoma in 2012, and spent two years at Arizona, one as a graduate assistant and one coaching defensive backs.
Walters started his coaching career as a student assistant at Colorado, his alma mater. He was a three-year starter at safety for the Buffaloes, playing in 46 games and earning All-Big 12 honorable mention status as a senior in 2008.
The opinions expressed in reader comments are those of the author only and do not reflect the opinions of The Seattle Times.
