After Stephen Belichick left to join his father, Bill, on North Carolina football's coaching staff, Washington football has hired former Purdue football head coach Ryan Walters as its new defensive coordinator. The Boilermakers fired Walters after he went 5-19 during his two seasons at the helm of the program. Purdue was 4-8 in 2023 and 1-11 in 2024.

“Sources: Washington is hiring former Purdue HC Ryan Walters as its new defensive coordinator to replace Stephen Belichick. @CFBONFOX. The Huskies have been in talks with Walters – who starred at Colorado as a safety – since learning that Belichick would join his father at North Carolina,”  Jordan Schultz of Fox Sports was the first to report on Friday morning.

Walters played safety for Colorado football from 2004-08. He finished his career with 203 total tackles, two sacks, five forced fumbles, and five interceptions.

The Los Angeles native began his coaching career at Colorado as a student assistant in 2009. Walters was on staff at Arizona from 2010-2011 and Oklahoma in 2012 before landing a job as North Texas' cornerbacks coach in 2013, and he held the same position at Memphis the following season.

Walters spent the next six seasons on staff at Missouri in various assistant coaching positions in the secondary. He then spent two seasons as Illinois' defensive coordinator before Purdue hired him prior to the 2023 season.

Walters will be looking to get his coaching career back on track after his first stint as a head coach came to a quick end. The 38-year-old has plenty of time for another head coaching opportunity down the line.

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Purdue replaced Walters with Barry Odom as its next head coach.

Can Ryan Walters help Washington football rebound in 2025?

Purdue Boilermakers head coach Ryan Walters looks down field Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, during the NCAA football game against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Ind. Penn State Nittany Lions won 49-10.
Mandatory Credit: Alex Martin/Journal and Courier / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

One year removed from a National Championship Game appearance, Washington football went 6-7 in 2024. The Huskies were No. 55 nationally in points allowed per game with 23.8 and No. 28 nationally in yards allowed per game with 328.4.

Defense was not Washington's main problem in 2024, as its offense failed to reliably put points on the board. Adjusting to the loss of head coach Kalen DeBoer to Alabama could be a reason for Washington's offensive struggles.