New UW coach Jedd Fisch officially rounded up his on-field staff Friday by signing Robert Bala, who coached inside linebackers at Alabama in 2023, to manage the same position group for Washington next season.
Bala was originally announced as the defensive coordinator at Western Michigan on Feb. 1.
The Oceanside, Calif., native spent one season as member of Nick Saban’s coaching staff. Under Bala’s direction, linebackers Deontae Lawson and Jihaad Campbell racked up 67 and 66 tackles, respectively, which placed second and third on the team. Lawson had three sacks while Campbell had an interception and two fumble recoveries.
With Lawson and Campbell in the core of the Crimson Tide defense, Alabama finished 12-2 to win the Southeastern Conference before falling to eventual national champion Michigan in the Rose Bowl, 27-20. Alabama’s defense allowed only 19 points per game, 16th best in the country.
Bala wasn’t retained by incoming Alabama coach and former Washington coach Kalen DeBoer. He was succeeded by former UW linebackers coach and co-defensive coordinator William Inge, who accompanied DeBoer to Tuscaloosa.
Before joining Saban at Alabama, Bala spent a year at Liberty as a defensive analyst for Hugh Freeze. Previous stints also include Southern Utah, his alma university where he played two seasons for the Thunderbirds, Ottawa University of Arizona, Palomar College and Snow Junior College. He also has some NFL experience, interning with the then-Oakland Raiders.
Bala’s hire fills the final place on Fisch’s defensive staff, where he will join defensive coordinator Steve Belichick, defensive line coach Jason Kaufusi, secondary coach John Richardson and defensive assistant Vinnie Sunseri.
Washington’s linebacker unit is one of the few that returns many of its 2023 players. Rising seniors Carson Bruener and Alphonzo Tuputala concluded the season rated third and fourth on the squad in tackles, while important special teamer Drew Fowler will also return in 2024.
The club will have to replace Edefuan Ulofoshio, one of college football’s finest covering linebackers in 2023, and Ralen Goforth, who both expired their eligibility. Redshirt freshmen Deven Bryant and Jordan Whitney, incoming freshman Khmori House, former San Jose State transfer Bryun Parham and former Arizona special teams player Anthony Ward complete out the remainder of the UW linebacker group.
Fisch also recruited another person with NFL links to his staff late Friday afternoon, bringing on Luke Del Rio — son of legendary NFL coach Jack Del Rio — as an offensive analyst.
This will be Luke Del Rio’s first coaching position at the collegiate level. He revealed he was joining the Huskies with a post on X expressing his joy for the chance.
Luke Del Rio was most recently the assistant quarterbacks coach with the Washington Commanders. He joined the franchise in 2020 as an offensive quality control coach, the same year his father became the team’s defensive coordinator. Jack Del Rio was dismissed Nov. 24 following the Commanders’ 45-10 Thanksgiving defeat to the Dallas Cowboys a day earlier.
Fisch has already brought two sons of high-profile NFL coaches onto his staff. Offensive coordinator Brennan Carroll, a son of former Seahawks coach Pete Carroll, spent three seasons with Fisch at Arizona before joining him at Washington. Steve Belichick’s father, Bill Belichick, was a six-time Super Bowl champion with the New England Patriots.
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