CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Illinois Football Coach Bret Bielema announced today the addition of Ryan Walters as the Fighting Illini Defensive Coordinator. One of the nation's top young coaches, Walters comes to Illinois following six seasons at Missouri, including three years as the Tigers' defensive coordinator and two years as co-defensive coordinator.

"It is a great pleasure to bring Ryan here to the University of Illinois Football Family," Bielema said. "Ryan has demonstrated great success in his coaching career as an assistant, as a coordinator and as a leader of young men. He'll be a great addition to our staff to help us motivate, recruit and develop a roster full of champions. Ryan and his family will be a terrific fit in our program, at our university and in the Champaign-Urbana community."

Walters has had an impressive run at Missouri where he has overseen an impressive transformation of the Tiger defense into one of the SEC's top units. In 2019, Walters' defense ranked in the nation's Top 20 in several major categories, including total defense (14th NCAA/3rd SEC – 312.0 avg) and scoring defense (17th NCAA/6th SEC – 19.4 avg.), while excelling as a Top 10 pass defense (eighth in passing yards allowed NCAA/2nd SEC – 179.3 avg.).

"I'm thankful and grateful for the opportunity that Coach Bielema is giving me to coach with him at the University of Illinois," Walters said. "Coach B is one of the most respected defensive minds in college football, and, as a young defensive coordinator, this is an opportunity I can't pass up. Coach B has a proven track record of incredible success in the Big Ten, as well as his years working in the NFL, that will put our program in position to win at a high level. I appreciate the time and opportunity that I had at Missouri, but my family and I are looking forward to the new challenge in front of us as we build a championship football program."

Walters took the reins as Missouri's defensive coordinator permanently for the 2018 season, and during the course of that year, the defense's improved play was a big factor in MU's 4-0 mark during November on the way to an eight-win season and bid to the 2018 AutoZone Liberty Bowl.

In December of 2017, Walters was promoted to the position of defensive coordinator before Missouri's 2017 Texas Bowl appearance after assuming control of the entire secondary before that season. He had focused on the safeties in his first two years with the program.

Prior making the move to Missouri in 2015, Walters coached at Memphis where he spent the 2014 season as cornerbacks coach and oversaw a defense that was among the most improved in the nation when the Tigers went 10-3.

A native of Aurora, Colorado, Walters played collegiately at Colorado, where he was a standout safety for the Buffaloes (2004-08). He began his coaching career as a student assistant at Colorado working with the secondary in 2009, and then spent two years on staff at Arizona, where he was a graduate assistant in 2010 before being promoted to defensive backs coach for the 2011 season.

From there, Walters moved to Oklahoma as a graduate assistant cornerbacks coach in 2012, as the Sooners went 10-3 and played in the 2013 Cotton Bowl. He moved to North Texas for the 2013 season, where he coached corners and helped lead UNT to a 9-4 record in its first year in Conference USA and a win in the 2013 Heart of Dallas Bowl.

As a player, Walters had a standout career as a safety at Colorado. He started 33 times in 46 contests for the Buffaloes, and earned honorable mention All-Big 12 honors from the Associated Press and first-team All-Colorado honors from the state's National Football Foundation his senior year.

A 2008 team captain for the Buffaloes, Walters was voted that season as team MVP by his teammates. He had 87 tackles, two sacks, seven pass deflections, three fumble recoveries and two interceptions as a senior. When his playing days ended, his 20 career passes defended rated No. 15 in Colorado history and his 223 career tackles were No. 45 all-time.

Walters earned his degree in history from Colorado in December 2008 with dual majors in History and Ethnic Studies. Walters and his wife Tara have two sons, Aaron and Cason.

The Ryan Walters File

Hometown: Los Angeles, California
Family: Wife: Tara; Sons: Aaron, Cason
Twitter: @Coach_Walters
Education: Colorado, 2008
Playing Experience: Colorado (Safety), 2004-08

Coaching Career