Walters Fires Another Shot Across the Husky Bow

If you haven't looked closely at the way things are run in Montlake these days, the University of Washington football team actually has two head coaches.

There's Jedd Fisch, who doubles as the Husky offensive coordinator.

And there's Ryan Walters, who doubles as the UW defensive coordinator.

Both speak authoritatively while holding their own week-opening news conferences and offering a state of the union on their respective sides of the ball.

Walters is a little more somber in tone, while Fisch is a bit more of a cheerful personality in approach, but players should not underestimate the power -- as the former Purdue head coach -- that the first man wields.

Fisch calls him the best defensive coordinator in the country and Walters says this is the best coaching staff he's ever been associated with, so there's a mutual respect there and lots of leeway for executive decisions.

Arms crossed, UW defensive coordinator Ryan Walters surveys the game-day situation. | Dave Sizer photo

Yes, Walters got fired by the Boilermakers after two forgettable seasons, where the program resources were minimal at best.

Yet if Fisch suddenly left his UW post for another job, the thinking is Walters at least would rate consideration as a replacement and be better suited for success with more resources available to him.

The point here is Husky players should listen to everything he has to say because his words carry a lot of weight.

He was the one, not Fisch, who warned that Husky players might lose their starting jobs if they couldn't get under control and quit knocking opponents into Lake Washington well after the whistle.

With Big Ten play ready to commence against Minnesota on Saturday night, Walters is the one who just said it again.

"We're getting close to that point," Walters said of making personnel changes. "I can tell you if undisciplined play continues in practice, you'll probably see different guys out there, guys that we can trust to do their job the way they're supposed to, because we've got plenty of capable guys to give us quality snaps on game day. "

This edict covers both the rash of penalties that have been evident in two of the UW's three games so far, plus players guilty of freelancing on the field and being out of position rather than abiding by their schematic marching orders on game day.

According to Walters, it's not complicated. Either play by the Huskies' rules or watch from the sideline.

"There's got to be ramifications for undisciplined play and undisciplined choices," he said on Tuesday. "You can't let your emotions get the best of you on the field. It's a confrontational game in nature, but you've got to play in the framework of the rules."

Ryan Walters is shown in deep thought during the UW-Eastern Washington game. | Dave Sizer phot

Previously, the Huskies emerged from three games victorious against lesser opponents, with two of the contests closer than they should have been. Losses will result if loose play continues against tougher competition.

"We preach being physical, being violent and being disciplined," Walters said. "I am a firm believer, and coach Fisch is a firm believer, that you can be all three. The bottom line is, that in order to do your job, you have to play physical, you have to play violent but you also have to play disciplined.

"If you don't hit all of those criteria, then you haven't done your job. So that's the message that's being delivered."

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