Purdue football appears to have turned the corner in Year 2 under Barry Odom, with the Boilermakers finding themselves in the middle of the pack in the Big Ten Conference.

The Boilermakers have won back-to-back games against Illinois and Minnesota, with running back Fame Ijeboi rushing for 195 yards and three touchdowns in a 28-point win over his former team the Golden Gophers last time out. Quarterback Ryan Browne has racked up 1,549 yards and nine touchdowns in six games.

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But as the Boilermakers host Washington for an 8 p.m. ET kickoff on Friday, a familiar "friend" returns to Ross-Ade Stadium: former Purdue coach Ryan Walters, who now serves as the Huskies' defensive coordinator on Jedd Fisch's staff.

Walters is in his second season in Seattle since his firing from Purdue in 2025. The Huskies' defense ranks in the middle of the Big Ten in multiple categories, including scoring (12th at 22.2 points per game) and total defense (10th at 330.3 yards per game), while ranking third with seven interceptions.

The ex-Purdue coach is not expected to receive a warm welcome from Boilermaker fans when he takes the field on Oct. 16.

Here's what to know on the relationship (or lack thereof) between Walters and Purdue fans:

Ryan Walters Purdue history

Walters and Purdue fans' animosity is a byproduct of the challenges the Boilermakers faced during his tenure as head coach.

Walters was hired in Dec. 2022 after a two-year stint as Illinois' defensive coordinator to replace Jeff Brohm in West Lafayette after Brohm left to become the head coach at his alma mater, Louisville. USA TODAY Sports' Paul Myerberg graded the hiring of Walters a C+, with the analysis:

"Walters, 36, was a prime candidate at Colorado before the Buffaloes' search zeroed in on Sanders. That could be Purdue's gain. He was extremely successful as the defensive coordinator at Illinois, crafting a unit that paced a breakout year in 2022, and he brings along a deep knowledge of the Big Ten. While the most successful coaches in recent program history came with an offensive background, Walters' defensive pedigree makes for an interesting addition should he maintain the Brohm-era scheme."

Walters was unable to sustain the momentum Brohm built at Purdue, particularly the momentum accrued over the final two seasons of Brohm's tenure when the Boilermakers posted back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 2006 and 2007.

The Boilermakers went 4-8 overall in their first season under Walters — which included Power Four wins over Virginia Tech, Illinois, Minnesota and Indiana — before winning just one game the following season. But where fans' strong dislike of Walters can be pointed to is Purdue's showing in Big Ten play: a combined 3-15 record in conference play, headlined by a 0-9 mark in 2024.

Walters became the shortest-tenured non-interim Purdue head coach since Elmer Burnham coached 18 games in 1942-43. As noted by the Indy Star, part of the USA TODAY Network, Walters' .208 winning percentage ranks among the worst in Purdue's modern era. He is one of just three Boilermakers coaches to win fewer than 30% of their games, joining Darrell Hazell (.214) and Fred Akers (.284).

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Ryan Walters record at Purdue

Below is a year-by-year breakdown of how the Boilermakers fared under Walters:

  • 2023: 4-8 overall (3-6 in Big Ten)
  • 2024: 1-11 overall (0-9 in Big Ten)

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ryan Walters returns to upstart Purdue after disastrous coaching tenure

Source: Yahoo Sports