Washington Set to Hire Former Big Ten Head Coach to Replace Steve Belichick as DC

After losing defensive coordinator Steve Belichick to North Carolina, Washington is reportedly looking within the Big Ten for his replacement.

The Huskies are nearing a deal to hire former Purdue coach Ryan Walters as their next defensive coordinator, according to a Friday afternoon report from Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports.

Walters, 38, was dismissed by the Boilermakers on Dec. 1 after leading them to a 1–11 season—Purdue's worst in 11 years. That disaster followed a 4–8 campaign in 2023.

Despite his struggles as a head coach, Walters is regarded as one of college football's top defensive minds. Under his leadership, Illinois's defense allowed an FBS-low 12.8 points per game in 2022—the lowest average allowed by any Fighting Illini team since 1965.

Washington is working toward finalizing a deal to hire former Purdue head coach Ryan Walters as its new defensive coordinator, sources tell @CBSSports/@247Sports.

Before Purdue, Walters was one of the nation’s top DCs at Illinois and Missouri and was a Broyles finalist in 2022.… https://t.co/GfdVE22zBN pic.twitter.com/EEh8c9L2BG
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) December 27, 2024

Illinois finished 8–5 that year, and the Seattle Seahawks took All-American defensive back Devon Witherspoon in the top five of the 2023 NFL draft. Walters was then hired by the Boilermakers.

Washington, which regressed from 14–1 to 6–6 in 2024, is scheduled to open next season on Aug. 30 against Colorado State.