CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The 2022 Illinois Fighting Illini defense was good.
Like, really really good.
So good that one player from the secondary was a top-five pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. So good that two other defenders were drafted in the second and fourth round. So good that a young defensive coordinator was hired as the head coach at Purdue.
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A move that, to say the least, might have been premature.
Ryan Walters was that young defensive coordinator, hired by head coach Bret Bielema in 2021 to take over the Fighting Illini’s defense. After a year at the helm, Walters pushed the Illini’s defense to new heights. The Orange and Blue ranked second nationally in points allowed per game, third in total defense and first in takeaways.
Before the Illini could compete in the 2023 Reliaquest Bowl, the Boilermakers announced Walters as their 37th head coach in program history. Flash foward two years later, and after 24 games Purdue fired Walters, finishing his head coaching stint at 5-19.
Now Walters is the defensive coordinator of the Washington Huskies, and at 5-2 they are preparing to welcome in the Fighting Illini, a team that, as you can see, has a lot of history with Walters.
“I obviously have not gone against Washington,” said Illinois offensive coordinator, Barry Lunney Jr. “Just Coach Walters at Purdue, and then obviously on a day-to-day basis here when he was here. Ryan was awesome when I first came here. Our defense that year [in 2022], Ryan had them playing at a really high level. I just have a lot of respect for him and the way he welcomed me here. I appreciate him, I got a lot of respect for him, and it is going to be a great challenge going up against him.”
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And while there is familiarity with the Walters defense, the Huskies have changed a few things since his time in Champaign.
“There’s some familiarity and there’s new spin, some new wrinkles, and new schematic elements to it,” Lunney said. “They have a really good defense that plays a lot of multiple looks, and presents a lot of challenges. There is some grassroots familiarity, but when you turn the film on there is definitely a different spin on things from what it was when he was here.”
Current Illini defensive coordinator Aaron Henry was the defensive backs coach under Walters in 2021 and 2022, and while they wear different colors now, the two stay close.
“This is the first week in about a year and some change that I haven’t spoken to Walt. We try not to talk to each other during the course of the game when we are playing each other,” Henry said. “You know it’s all love, he is doing a great job over there. Just like he’s trying to win, I am trying to win as well.”
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Bielema kept his comments about Walters brief.
“I think Ryan sees the game extremely well,” Bielema said. “It is not fun to go against, but it’s also fun to see and witness.”
Why so brief? Maybe because following a thrilling 50-49 OT Illini win over Purdue in October 2024, Bielema took a couple subtle shots at his ex-defensive coordinator after the game.
“I think they really wanted to win this game for me, maybe they knew I was really into it, right? I’m into every game, but this one just pissed me off on many different levels to be quite honest,” Bielema said in 2024. “I just know how we run our business and I’ll stand on that, right? I love the way our guys fight, the way they practice, the way we prepare. I love the way the coaches coach, I love the way they recruit, I love the way they develop. To get this win was a big deal.”
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When later asked what pissed him off?
“Just everything. Everyone knows what I am about, like, just handle your business. Do things right and good thigns can happen.”
We won’t dive into the world of rumors, but it is evident Bielema felt strongly about winning against Walters in 2024, and it likely won’t change in 2025.
With both the Illini and Washington deadlocked at 5-2 — and fighting to keep their slim playoff hopes alive — the matchup in Seattle is very important. And while there may be some feelings of animosity towards one and other, Henry and Walters make sure to check in on each other.
“We spoke a couple weeks ago, and we just talked about family. I asked him how the boys were doing,” Henry said. “It is more so about family dynamics and catching up on life, than it is about football.”
