Husky Coach Review: Breckterfield Tasked With Making DL Dominant Again

In 2022, Inoke Breckterfield became the third University of Washington defensive-line coach in three seasons, taking on a position that went from a program strength to a notable weakness.

It's his job to restore the Husky trenches to something far more disruptive.

Of the previous D-line leaders, Ikaika Malloe candidly accepted the blame for the UW's poor performance up front in 2020 before taking a new assignment as edge-rusher coach the following year, and Rip Rowan replaced him after receiving an overly generous promotion from Husky quality coach to someone entrusted with fixing things in 2021 — and the results turned out worse.

Now at UCLA, Malloe spent five seasons guiding Montlake defensive linemen and he rightfully can count Vita Vea and Greg Gaines among his coaching successes, but edge-rusher coach seems like a much better fit for him.

Following the Jimmy Lake coaching purge, Rowan ended up going from the UW to lower-level Georgia Southern, and realistically his job progression should have happened in the opposite sequence.

Enter Breckterfield, who has 14 seasons of coaching college football defensive linemen on his personal ledger, counting a season in Montlake on Kalen DeBoer's staff after making stops in the SEC, Big Ten, ACC, Pac-12 and Big Sky.

His chief coaching calling card is he helped polish the skills of Pittsburgh's Aaron Donald into a first-round draft pick and one of the NFL's stellar performers.

"Inoke Breckterfield is one of the elite coaches of defensive linemen in the country," UW co-defensive coordinator Chuck Morrell said. "If there's anyone who can develop them, it's him."

Going through the coaching staff, Breckterfield is first up in a series of profiles about each of the Huskies' coordinators and assistant coaches, summing up their time spent in Montlake so far and surmising what might come next for them.

Inoke Breckterfield has parted ways with five scholarship defensive tackles with eligibility remaining since joining the UW staff.

Inoke Breckterfield played for Oregon State before making coaching stops at UCLA and now Washington across the conference.

Inoke Breckterfield has a moment with UW coach Kalen DeBoer during spring football.

Inoke Breckterfield leaves the field with defensive tackle Kuao Peihopa, who transferred out and went home to Hawaii after getting in trouble last fall.

Inoke Breckterfield gets to work with twins in Jayvon and Armon Parker, players he signed from Detroit.

Recruiting coordinator Courtney Morgan and Inoke Breckterfield host recruit Tyriq Blanding on a visit.

Inoke Breckterfield coached the Pittsburgh Panthers' defensive line for three seasons, with Aaron Donald one of his success stories.

Defensive-line coach Inoke Breckterfield spent six seasons coaching in the Big Ten for the Wisconsin Badgers.

Breckterfield inherited a UW position group that didn't measure up to standards previously established by former Husky down linemen such as Steve Emtman, Demarco Farr, Danny Shelton, Levi Onwuzurike, Gaines and Vea.

In recent years, the Huskies made a lot of recruiting mistakes, maybe more on the defensive line than anywhere else. Since DeBoer's staff assumed control, five scholarship players from that position group have left or were asked to leave the program. Some of them were badly out of shape, even lumpy. Others were projects with virtually no D-line backgrounds. Yet another got sent packing for misbehaving.

Breckterfield might be the most serious on a staff full of serious-minded coaches. Whereas one of those departed defensive tackles memorably shoved Rowan out of his way during a spring football drill, no one would think to take on Breckterfield.

He doesn't smile. He doesn't banter in media exchanges. He's rarely shown lounging on a speed boat on Lake Washington, which has been an offseason coaching perk forever. He's all business.

Breckterfield has a chance to show what he can do right away with the Parker twins, Jayvon and Armon, and Elinneus Davis. They're a sophomore and two freshmen signed by him, all from the Midwest. In his first season, Jayvon Parker played in eight games, second most among any first-year UW player.

"Coach Nokes does a fantastic job of taking those guys, and I don't want to say average, but maybe the un-touted player," Morrell said, "and developing them into high-level players."

INOKE BRECKTERFIELD FILE

Background: Breckterfield played for Oregon State from 1995 to 1998, leading the defense as a senior while Jonathan Smith, the current Beavers coach, was a starting freshman quarterback making things happen. Breckterfield was so good he won the Morris Trophy, given to the Pac-10's top lineman.

Big Fix: More lost-yardage plays. Breckterfield had 55 tackles for loss and 19.5 sacks in his Beavers career. By comparison, the five veteran UW players playing for him have a combined 28 TFLs and 15.5 sacks.

Special Project: The coach should concentrate on making the once highly regarded Jacob Bandes, now a 6-foot-3, 314-pound reserve, more of a playmaker. A junior, Bandes has 1.5 TFLs and a lone sack.

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