Ryan Walters came to Washington in 2025 for his first season as the Huskies' defensive coordinator, replacing Stephen Belichick on Jedd Fisch’s 2024 staff after Belichick left for the same role at UNC alongside his hall-of-fame dad.
Walters was previously Purdue’s head coach in 2023 and 2024 after successful defensive coordinator stints with Illinois and Missouri, but after leading the Boilermakers to just a 5–19 record in two seasons, he was fired. Thus, the UW defensive coordinator job became a genuine chance at redemption for the 39-year-old -- and in 2025, he delivered steady improvement that now earns its own report card.