New safeties coach Ryan Walters wants to settle at Mizzou

New Missouri safeties coach Ryan Walters has led a nomadic coaching life.

Walters, 29, a Los Angeles native who grew up in Colorado and played safety for the Buffaloes during 2005-08, is coaching for his sixth program in seven years.

But after following Barry Odom from Memphis when Odom was hired in December to replace Dave Steckel as defensive coordinator, Walters hopes he’s found a home.

“I actually just closed on a place,” Walters said. “My wife (Tara) and my 1-year-old son (Aaron) got in town (Wednesday) night. That’s part of the business, man, and she’s used to it. She’s a professional mover now, for sure. But she’s happy to be out here, and I’m excited to raise my family in Columbia.”

Walters worked as a student assistant at Colorado in 2009, then spent the next two years at Arizona, first as a graduate assistant and later as defensive backs coach.

In 2012, Walters joined Oklahoma as a graduate assistant coaching cornerbacks before becoming the cornerbacks coach at North Texas the next season.

After helping the Mean Green to a 9-4 record, including a win in the Heart of Dallas Bowl, Walters joined Memphis’ staff and worked under Odom last season.

The relationship he forged with Odom led to Walters’ hiring at Missouri after Alex Grinch left in January to become Washington State’s defensive coordinator.

Walters takes over a position group that lost three-year starter and captain Braylon Webb, but returns starting free safety Ian Simon.

“Coach Grinch did a great job instilling fundamentals and practice habits with them,” Walters said. “I’ve got a good mix of young guys and veterans.”

Walters already is putting his stamp on the secondary.

“He’s smart and he knows his football,” Simon said. “He’s passionate about the game and wants us to succeed. It’s a lot like when coach Grinch came in. He changed up a few things technique-wise. That’s one thing I’ve learned, every coach has his own techniques that he prefers.”

There are some different reads and small adjustments to the coverages in addition to tweaks to man coverage.

“It’s a small learning curve, but it’s there,” Simon said. “It’s nothing major.”

Walters believes his youth helps him relate to today’s college athlete.

“I’m a teacher first, so I guess my personality in the classroom is a little bit different than it is on the field,” Walters said. “When I get on the field, my competitive juices start to flow, but I teach first.

“I feel like you’ve got to be able to communicate with the guys, and I feel like my age kind of allows me to relate to them a little bit naturally. But I coach them hard. I wouldn’t have been able to come here if I didn’t coach hard and didn’t take this profession serious.”

Walters said the opportunity to continue working with Odom was a factor in his decision to leave Memphis, but not the only one.

Coaching under “an established coach, like coach (Gary) Pinkel, was an opportunity I couldn’t turn down,” Walters said.

This story was originally published March 13, 2015 at 7:30 PM with the headline "New safeties coach Ryan Walters wants to settle at Mizzou."