Throughout its seek for a brand new head coach this fall, Colorado took an extended take a look at former Buffaloes’ security Ryan Walters for the job.
Finally, the Buffs determined to rent Deion Sanders as head coach, however Walters didn’t wait lengthy to get his shot at main a program.
On Tuesday, Purdue introduced it has employed Walters to turn into its subsequent head coach after his profitable run because the defensive coordinator at Illinois.
Walters, 36, is simply the second former CU participant ever to land a full-time head teaching job at a Soccer Bowl Subdivision college. The opposite was Jon Embree, who was the pinnacle coach of the Buffs from 2011-12.
“I’m extremely humbled and honored to function the pinnacle soccer coach at Purdue College,” Walters mentioned in a Purdue press launch. “I’m grateful to director of athletics Mike Bobinski and to president Daniels for this unimaginable alternative. Purdue is a world-class college, and our soccer program will pursue the identical excellence exhibited throughout our campus. My spouse Tara and I, together with our boys, are past excited to hitch the Purdue and West Lafayette communities. Boiler Up!”
Walters, who starred at Grandview Excessive College in Aurora, performed for the Buffs from 2004-08. His father, Marc, was a CU quarterback within the mid-Eighties.
Throughout his time at CU, Walters racked up 223 tackles and 5 interceptions and was part of three bowl groups.
Following his taking part in profession, Walters was a pupil assistant with the Buffs in 2009 to kick off his teaching profession. He coached at Arizona, Oklahoma, North Texas and Memphis earlier than being employed because the safeties coach at Missouri in 2015.
Walters was at Missouri for six seasons (2015-20), together with two as co-defensive coordinator and the final three as defensive coordinator. He went to Illinois in 2021 and has led one of many nation’s greatest defenses.
This month, 247Sports named Walters because the defensive coordinator of the 12 months and On3 named him the nationwide coordinator of the 12 months. He was a finalist for the Broyles Award, which is yearly introduced to the highest assistant coach within the nation.
Illinois leads the nation in scoring protection this season, permitting solely 12.3 factors per recreation and is second in complete protection (263.8 yards per recreation).
The Illini had been twenty ninth in scoring protection final 12 months (21.9), a dramatic leap from 2020 (97th, 34.9).