A Championship Vision: Meet #Mizzou's Ryan Walters
1/28/2016 8:43:00 AM | Football
Part six in an exclusive MUTigers.com series introducing Mizzou Football's coaching staff
A Championship Vision. That is the mindset that Mizzou Football head coach Barry Odom took into his first month on the job as he built an impressive coaching staff that boasts years of high-level college and pro experience and an abundance of success both as coaches and as players. Leading into National Signing Day on February 3, MUTigers.com will be introducing all of Mizzou's coaches in what was the first exclusive interviews for each coach since Coach Odom established the staff.
Today we introduce you to Mizzou safeties coach Ryan Walters. Be sure to listen to an exclusive interview below and watch Mizzou Network's Ben Arnet go one-on-one with Coach Walters in an in-depth one-on-one that examines Walters' unique connection with Coach Odom and what made Mizzou such an appealing place for him to coach.
A Tough Approach Leads Coach Walters to Mizzou
After having coached under Odom for two years, it was very clear that safeties coach Ryan Walters would continue to be the right man for the job. Walters and Odom spent a year together at Memphis, where they vastly improved the defense. Then, when Coach Odom took the defensive Coordinator position at Mizzou, and a safeties position opened up Walters could not resist.
"The opportunity to learn from him both as a man and professionally in terms of his defensive philosophy was definitely appealing to me," Walters said.
Not only was it appealing to be on staff with Coach Odom, but Walters also loves the community at Mizzou.
"The town of Columbia is a great place to live and raise a family, which definitely played a part in my decision to stay."
Having known each other for quite some time, Odom and Walters were able to recognize similarities within their coaching styles. Not only have Odom and Walters worked together for some time now, but Walters also played for first-year cornerbacks coach Greg Brown when he was a DB at Colorado during his playing days. Of course, Walters picked up some of what he preaches to players from Coach Brown back in the day.
"To be a good football player, you have got to play hard, be smart and be tough," Walters said. "Coach Odom embodies all three of those things in how he approaches work everyday, and that is how I go about my business everyday as well."
Play hard, be smart, and be tough are the three main characteristics that Walters lives by. He does his best to teach his players how to utilize these traits every single day. Coach Walters not only wants his players to do well in the classroom and on the field, but he wants to see them develop as a person.
"It's the personal relationships. You bring somebody in, you watch them, you gain a relationship with them as an individual then you teach them and see the improvement throughout the year," Walters said. "That's what's rewarding to me as a coach. Just seeing people grow as men, that's why I'm doing what I'm doing."
Before growth and improvement can occur, Walters must begin with recruiting. When recruiting student athletes Walters and the rest of the coaching staff looks for a specific person. They want a student athlete who, when put in an adverse situation can overcome that adversity and be mentally and physically tough.
"I want the player who is willing to watch that extra tape, who does exceedingly well in the classroom, someone who is a workout warrior, and someone who is tough in the head," Walters said. "Football is a physical game, and the SEC is a physical league, so you have to be tough at this level."
Walters may be looking for specific traits within student athletes, but there is more to recruiting than just talent and toughness.
"It is all about relationships," Walters said. "At the end of the day, that is what draws everybody in, it is the personal relationship and that is where you build trust and respect. You have got to know them as an individual and get to know the families, the coaches around them, if they have someone they workout with everyday, you have to get to know all of them."
Looking forward to this year, Walters is expecting big shoes to be filled. Now that Ian Simon, last years senior captain has graduated, Coach Walters is hoping Anthony Sherrils can replace that loss.
"I am looking for Anthony Sherrils to really make a drastic jump in his productivity. I thought he played well starting as a sophomore his first year in the SEC," Walters said. "You see that huge jump in the sophomore to junior year, getting that year of experience under their belt. So I am looking for him to grow as a player and also in terms of leadership."
Walters is also looking for his underclassmen to take charge and become poised and polished players. In doing so Walters wants them to apply his three key traits in order to form their identity.
"I say it all the time, but I want people to say they play hard, that is a smart group, and they are tough. That is what I want the identity of my room to be," Walters said.
Play hard, be smart, and be tough was the identity Walters had taken on as a student athlete, and now he wants his players to emulate that identity. Once Walters was done playing, he knew he wanted to be a coach and pass on the knowledge that he had congregated throughout his years. Walters pours every ounce of energy he has into the sport of football, and in return it has given him a life that he is extremely grateful for.
"I love the game because of what it teaches you and the applicable lessons you learn throughout the year in terms of football."
