Robert Bala was eager to observe the competition during the offseason, especially with Washington’s linebacker unit undergoing major changes. Nearly all the key contributors from the 2024 season had departed, leaving open starting positions up for grabs. Despite the turnover, Bala, who coached the Huskies’ linebackers last season, anticipated a “smooth transition” into 2025.
“Having open spots is a good problem to have,” Bala said Monday. “From the competition aspect of our program, it’s going to be really fun to see those guys go through and earn a job.” However, Bala won’t be around to witness the outcome. Just two days after speaking with the media alongside Washington’s defensive staff, reports emerged that he was leaving to join Billy Napier’s staff at Florida. He will serve as the Gators’ linebackers coach and co-defensive coordinator. Washington is once again in search of a replacement for a defensive assistant.
“I feel like we have a fantastic defensive staff,” Huskies head coach Jedd Fisch said Monday. Bala becomes the third defensive assistant to depart since the end of the 2024 season. Steve Belichick left to become North Carolina’s defensive coordinator, where his father, Bill Belichick, took over as head coach in December 2024. Safeties coach Vinnie Sunseri also departed, initially accepting a defensive coordinator role at Jacksonville State before joining Florida in the same capacity. Bala and Sunseri will now reunite in Gainesville.
Bala was the last hire for Fisch’s initial coaching staff at Washington after spending the 2023 season with Alabama during Nick Saban’s final year. Unlike other defensive assistants, such as John Richardson and Jason Kaufusi—who followed Fisch from Arizona—or Sunseri, who had ties to the Belichick family, Bala had no prior connection to Fisch’s staff.
Under Bala’s guidance, Washington’s linebackers thrived in 2024. Carson Bruener earned third-team All-Big Ten honors, leading the team with 104 tackles along with three interceptions, five pass breakups, and a forced fumble. Alphonzo Tuputala, an honorable mention All-Big Ten selection, ranked second on the team with 81 tackles and recorded a team-high 3.5 sacks. Freshman Khmori House emerged as a surprise standout, tallying 35 tackles, an interception, and a forced fumble. He was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week after Washington’s 24-5 win over Northwestern on Sept. 21 and made a key goal-line tackle in the Huskies’ 26-21 victory against USC on Nov. 2.
Despite the success, the linebacker unit suffered the most significant losses on Washington’s roster following the season. Bruener, Tuputala, and special teams contributor Drew Fowler exhausted their eligibility after the Sun Bowl, while Parham and House entered the transfer portal, leaving the Huskies without their top five linebackers from 2024.
“I think the biggest thing we have to replace is leadership,” Bala noted.
To fill the void, Washington brought in several reinforcements for the 2025 season. The Huskies added former Arizona captain Jacob Manu, a 2023 first-team All-Pac-12 player; Xe’ree Alexander, a local product who played at Idaho and UCF; and Taariq Al-Uqdah, who previously spent three seasons at Washington State. Manu, recovering from a late-season knee injury, told The Seattle Times on Monday that he hopes to be available sometime after fall camp, though no exact timeline has been set.
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