SEATTLE, Wash. (AP) — Former Purdue football coach Ryan Walters was hired as defensive coordinator for the Washington Huskies on Friday.
Coach Jedd Fisch announced the hiring of Walters, who compiled a 5-19 record in two seasons with the Boilermakers and was fired at the conclusion of the season. Walters built a reputation as a defensive mind at Illinois. In 2020, the Illini ranked 97th in FBS in scoring defense and No. 114 in total defense. In his first year, those rankings improved to No. 29 and 49, respectively, and in 2022, he coached the Illinois defensive to the national No. 1 ranking in scoring defense (12.3 ppg) and No. 2 in total defense (263.8 ypg).
“Hiring Ryan Walters allows us to continue to build on the foundation of the 2024 defense while continuing to grow and improve," Fisch said. “His experience in the Big Ten Conference was vital in this hire, along with having deep family ties in the Seattle area."
Walters played college football at Colorado and was a graduate assistant coach at Colorado, Arizona and Oklahoma. He was also a defensive backs coach at North Texas, Memphis and Missouri.
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FILE - Purdue head coach Ryan Walters walks on the field during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Wisconsin in West Lafayette, Ind., Friday, Sept. 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy, File)
LONDON (AP) — Heavy snow and freezing rain brought widespread disruption across Europe on Sunday, particularly in the U.K. and Germany, with several major airports forced to suspend flights
With the weather set to stay inclement on Sunday in the U.K., there are concerns that many rural communities, particularly in the north of England, could be cut off, with up to 40 centimeters (15 inches) of snow on ground above 300 meters (985 feet).
The National Grid, which oversees the country's electricity network, said it had been working to restore power after outages across the country. The company’s live map shows power cuts in Birmingham in central England, Bristol in the west and Cardiff in Wales.
Many sporting events have already been postponed, though the heavyweight Premier League fixture between rivals Liverpool and Manchester United is on, following an inspection at Liverpool's home ground of Anfield.
Liverpool's John Lennon Airport and Manchester Airport had to close runways, but both appeared poised to reopen them by late Sunday morning. Leeds Bradford Airport, however, said it had closed its runway on Sunday morning.
The road network was heavily impacted too, on what would have been a very busy day with many families returning home from the Christmas and New Year break and students heading back to universities.
Many roads had been preemptively closed by local authorities but stranded vehicles and collisions have caused disruption elsewhere.
On the railways, many services were canceled, with National Rail warning of disruption continuing into the working week.
Britain's main weather forecaster, the Met Office, says sleet and snow will continue to push north on Sunday and will be heaviest in northern England and into southern Scotland. After experiencing freezing rain, which occurs when supercold rain freezes on impact, the south will turn milder.
The Environment Agency has also issued eight flood warnings across southern England on the River Taw and River Avon.
Snow and ice were also causing havoc in Germany, where a bout of winter weather is spreading from the southwest. Authorities have issued black ice warnings for drivers and pedestrians, advising people to stay home where possible.
Frankfurt airport canceled 120 of its 1,090 planned takeoffs and landings on Sunday, according to the Fraport press office. At Munich airport, only one runway was open while the other one was being cleared.
In Baden-Wuerttemberg eight people were injured when a bus skidded off the road near the town of Hemmingen.
Long-distance train connections also experienced irregularities in the Frankfurt area.
Scislowska reported from Warsaw, Poland.
A snowman in the sunshine on the Swabian Alb, Lichtenstein, Saturday Jan. 4, 2025. (Thomas Warnack/dpa via AP)
People walk through the snow-covered Thuringian Forest, Suhl-Schmiedefeld, Germany, Saturday Jan. 4, 2025. (Michael Reichel/dpa via AP)
Tobogganers at the top of the Fichtelberg, Oberwiesentha, Germany, Saturday Jan. 4, 2025. (Sebastian Willnow/dpa via AP)
Snow blankets Lee Park in Liverpool, England, Sunday Jan. 5, 2025. (Peter Byrne/PA via AP)
Members of the public are seen sledging on a hill with Durham Cathedral which is surrounded by heavy snow in Durham, North East England, as the severe weather continues across England, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Scott Heppell)
A worker clears snow from a sidewalk in front of the stadium of the premier league soccer club FC Liverpool in Liverpool, England, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025. (Peter Byrne/PA via AP)
Members of the public are seen sledging on a hill with Durham Cathedral which is surrounded by heavy snow in Durham, North East England, as the severe weather continues across England, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Scott Heppell)
Snow covers houses and the 'Knaresborough Viaduct' in Knaresborough, England, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025. (Danny Lawson/PA via AP)
Vehicles on the A1(M) near Hopperton, north England, Sunday Jan. 5, 2025, as heavy overnight snow causes disruption across the UK as the cold start to the new year continues. (Danny Lawson/PA via AP)
Boys are seen with a sledge on a hill with Durham Cathedral which is surrounded by heavy snow in Durham, North East England, as the severe weather continues across England, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Scott Heppell)
Boys are seen with a sledge on a hill with Durham Cathedral which is surrounded by heavy snow in Durham, North East England, as the severe weather continues across England, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Scott Heppell)
A man is seen with his son as they ski and sledge on a hill with Durham Cathedral which is surrounded by heavy snow in Durham, North East England, as the severe weather continues across England, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Scott Heppell)
A blanket of snow covers houses in Blackpool, England, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025. (Michael Holmes/PA via AP)
A lady is seen with her dog in front of Anthony Gormley's sculpture, the Angel of the North, which is surrounded by heavy snow in Gateshead, North East England, as the severe weather continues across England, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Scott Heppell)
People help to push cars stuck in snow in Leeds, England, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025. (Danny Lawson/PA via AP)
A lady is seen pulling her child along on a sledge as they admire Anthony Gormley's sculpture, the Angel of the North, which is surrounded by heavy snow in Gateshead, North East England, as the severe weather continues across England, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Scott Heppell)
