Washington’s linebacker coach Robert Bala is leaving the program to join Billy Napier’s staff at Florida as a linebackers coach and co-defensive coordinator. Bala’s departure marks another key loss for UW’s defensive staff, which has already seen Steve Belichick (North Carolina DC) and Vinnie Sunseri (Florida safeties coach/co-DC) leave since the end of the 2024 season.
Bala was instrumental in developing Washington’s linebackers, with Carson Bruener (104 tackles, 3 INTs) earning All-Big Ten honors and freshman Khmori House emerging as a standout. However, UW’s linebacker room suffered significant attrition this offseason, losing its top five players due to graduation, transfers, or eligibility exhaustion.
To address these losses, Bala helped bring in transfers such as former Arizona captain Jacob Manu and high school recruits like four-star Zaydrius Rainey-Sale. UW also secured an early 2026 commitment from linebacker Wassie Lugolobi, though they lost four-star 2026 prospect Esun Tafa after offensive line coach Brennan Carroll left for the Raiders.
Now, Washington must find another defensive assistant to fill Bala’s vacancy.
