Ryan Walters (American football)

Ryan Walters
	Walters in 2023
Current position
Title	Head coach
Team	Purdue
Conference	Big Ten
Record	4–8
Biographical details
Born	January 21, 1986 (age 38); Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Playing career
2004–2008	Colorado
Position(s)	Safety
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
2009	Colorado (SA)
2010	Arizona (GA)
2011	Arizona (DB)
2012	Oklahoma (GA)
2013	North Texas (CB)
2014	Memphis (CB)
2015	Missouri (S)
2016–2017	Missouri (co-DC/S)
2018–2020	Missouri (DC/S)
2021–2022	Illinois (DC)
2023–present	Purdue
Head coaching record
Overall	4–8

Ryan Walters (born January 21, 1986) is an American football coach and former safety, who is the current head football coach for the Purdue Boilermakers. He played college football for Colorado from 2004 to 2008. He then served as the defensive coordinator for the Missouri Tigers (2018–2020) and the Illinois Fighting Illini (2021–2022).

Walters was born in Los Angeles, California. His father, Marc, was a quarterback for Colorado. He attended Grandview High School in Aurora, Colorado. After graduation from high school, he accepted a football scholarship to the University of Colorado Boulder. After spending his freshman season as a redshirt, he converted from quarterback to safety. He started for three seasons, helping the Buffaloes to two bowl games, earning honorable mention All-Big 12 Conference as a senior.

After going undrafted in the 2009 NFL Draft, Walters turned to coaching, eventually being named the youngest (25 years old) position coach in the Pac-10 Conference during the 2011 season. After various stops along the way, Walters was promoted to defensive coordinator for the Missouri Tigers (2018–2020) and the Illinois Fighting Illini (2021–2022). On December 13, 2022, he was named the 37th head coach in the history of Purdue University.