Feature image from Writing Illini

Who Is He?

Ryan Walters is the Big Ten’s hottest rising star amongst its coordinator ranks. The 36 year old, after six years bouncing around programs in the west and plains, was DC and Safeties Coach for three years at Mizzou under both Barry Odom and Eli Drinkwitz, and has been Defensive Coordinator under Bret Bielema for his two-season Illinois tenure. In that time, Illinois’ SP+ Defensive rankings leapt from #88 in Lovie Smith’s 2020 last year to #46 in 2021, and all the way to #3 in 2022.

This earned Walters 2022 Broyles Award Finalist honors (alongside other Purdue coaching prospects Todd Monken and Garrett Riley) and was one of the three HC finalists for his alma mater Colorado - which eventually went to Deion Sanders, making Colorado the first ever university to hire three consecutive black head football coaches.

Why would he be successful at Purdue?

Like other defense-first assistant coaches on the BS Search Firm’s shortlist, Walters would put Purdue’s Den of Defensive Ends as its primary identity for the first time in its history - and would give Purdue a level of toughness in the trenches that could mimic the style that PJ Fleck has found success with at Minnesota.

Walters could also come at a relative discount compared to the top tier of Purdue coaching candidates - giving Mike Bobinski the opportunity to pour more resources into the assistant coaching salary pool to retain DC Mark Hagen and attract a high-level offensive coordinator. It would be great to bring in an experienced OC for a coach-by-committee approach for Walters as HC - but I’d be lying if I wouldn’t be thrilled by pairing Walters with JaMarcus Shepherd - with either one as HC and the other as coordinator. But, to keep Hagen, the most likely way to get all three on the same staff is with Walters at the top and Shepherd, a Bobinski favorite, at OC.

Why could he flop at Purdue?

He’s a 36 year old coordinator with no head coaching experience, who could be in over his head and a strange fit at a school known for its offensive firepower. As discussed previously, Purdue has never had success with a defense-first head coach. It could also be worrisome when thinking about the last time a Purdue coach tried to apply a football philosophy best built for Wisconsin/Nebraska-type schools.

But the best argument to counter this is that Walters and Bielema’s approach has succeeded at Illinois, and PJ has ridden this model to success at Minnesota. There’s every reason to think that the rising star Walters would be flexible with his system, particularly on offense at Purdue - but the risk remains that he learns hard lessons at his first head coaching spot.

Would he come to Purdue?

Walters, like JaMarcus Shepherd and Garrett Riley and Jim Leonhard, is a clear rising star - and, for a program like Purdue to hire one of these coaches, it has to be an early mover. Walters would absolutely take the position if offered, and it would be essential to pair him with an offensive mind like Shepherd and an experienced hand like Hagen if Purdue makes this move.

Addition: The biggest question I’d have in this Walters / Shepherd / Hagen scenario - who would Walters hire as Strength & Conditioning coach? This is often the most important and immediately impactful hire that a new coach brings to a program, and the biggest disadvantage to hiring an assistant coach with no head coaching experience - and one that Bobinski would need a definitive answer for before taking the leap of faith with Walters. Playcalling inexperience is another big gamble for this trio, but I do believe that talent and development are more important foundations for a program than gameday duty experience. I trust this trio implicitly with recruiting, but I’m not as sold on the development without the right S&C staff.

It’s undeniable that Walters is an excellent coordinator, and his rising stock is warranted by every measure. It’s only a matter of time before he leads his own program, and it wouldn’t be surprising if Illinois eventually pulled a Wisconsin/Paul Chryst move and raised Walters to Interim HC at Bielema’s first stumble. If Purdue were to beat them to the punch with Walters could be a shrewd move from Bobinski - but one that includes a non-trivial amount of risk.