WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue University announced Ryan Walters as the new football head coach Tuesday.
Walters spent two seasons with the University of Illinois as the defensive coordinator. Along with guiding the Illini defense to Top 10 national rankings in 17 different defensive categories, Walters was named 247Sports Defensive Coordinator of the Year and On3 Coordinator of the Year.
"I am incredibly humbled and honored to serve as the head football coach at Purdue University," Walters said. "Purdue is a world-class university, and our football program will pursue the same excellence exhibited across our campus. My wife Tara and I, along with our boys, are beyond excited to join the Purdue and West Lafayette communities. Boiler Up!"
Walters, 36, becomes the fourth-youngest coach in FBS football.
He spent six seasons at the University of Missouri before going to Illinois. Three of those seasons, he was the defensive coordinator.
Walters previously coached at Memphis, North Texas, Oklahoma, Arizona and Colorado.
Walters will be introduced at a welcome event at noon on Wednesday, Dec. 14.
Walters takes over for Jeff Brohm, whom Louisville hired as its new football coach.
The University of Louisville Athletic Association's executive board approved a six-year contract on Thursday that will pay the former Purdue coach a base salary of $5 million next season with annual increases of $100,000, plus incentives. Brohm will also receive one-time payments of $500,000 in 2023 and 2024 that'll increase by $250,000 for two-year cycles up to $1 million in 2027-28.
Brohm, who was a Louisville quarterback and minor league baseball player, was introduced Thursday to a standing ovation in a packed news conference at Cardinal Stadium. His Twitter bio reflected his new job.
“It's really gratifying and humbling to be up here,” Brohm said. “This is home to me. Not a job, but a way of life.”
Brohm went 36-34 in six seasons with the Boilermakers, including 17-9 the past two seasons. He guided them to their first Big Ten West division title before they fell to No. 2 Michigan 43-22 in the conference championship.
Brohm succeeds Scott Satterfield, who left Monday to become Cincinnati's coach after going 25-24 in four seasons at Louisville.
