Thoughts on Ryan Walters as Washington closes in on new DC

What does the former Purdue coach bring to the table?

It appears Washington found a new defensive coordinator before its current one even coached his last game.

The Huskies are expected to hire former Purdue coach Ryan Walters to replace Steve Belichick, a source with direct knowledge confirmed, after Belichick’s move to North Carolina becomes official following UW’s Dec. 31 Sun Bowl game against Louisville. 247Sports and The Athletic were first to report Walters and UW were approaching a deal.

Walters, 38, was fired after two seasons at Purdue, which won only five games during his tenure and finished 1-11 and 0-9 in Big Ten play in 2024. Previously, though, Walters was considered among the top coordinators in college football, having coached an Illinois unit in 2022 that led the country in scoring defense (12.8 points allowed per game) and finished No. 2 nationally in yards per play allowed. Prior to his two-year stint in Champaign, Walters spent six seasons as an assistant at Missouri, taking on the coordinator role from 2018-20.

Assuming the deal gets done, I’d expect an official announcement next week.

For now, here are some additional thoughts on what hiring Walters could mean for the Huskies.