Inside The Huskies

Fisch Completes UW Staff with Former Alabama Linebacker Coach

Robert Bala replaces William Inge, who replaced him in Tuscaloosa.

Dan Raley

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Robert Bala, who 16 days earlier was named Western Michigan defensive coordinator, on Friday was hired as linebackers coach for Jedd Fisch's University of Washington staff.

Bala, 37, spent last season at Alabama as Nick Saban's linebackers coach, but wasn't retained by Kalen DeBoer, who left the Huskies to replace the retiring Saban.

As the UW linebackers coach, Bala ironically replaces William Inge, who also was the Huskies' co-defensive coordinator and took his spot in Alabama.

College football seems be intertwined in so many different ways these days.

“Thankful for the opportunity. It’s been real, will always rock with #RollTide,” Bala tweeted when it became clear he wouldn't join DeBoer's staff.

As for not staying with Western Michigan, Bala apparently wanted a higher-level job. A school news release announcing his hiring has been removed.

A native of Oceanside, California, Bala was a two-year starting linebacker for Southern Utah (2007-08) and coached four seasons at the Big Sky school (2018-21), the last two as the defensive coordinator. He also coached on the junior-college level and spent a season as an intern with the Oakland Raiders (2014).

Considered a rising star in the profession, Bala spent the 2022 season at Liberty as a defensive analyst for former SEC coach Hugh Freeze and went to work for Saban last season.

“Robert is a smart young coach who has paid his dues across all levels of college football and we are excited to add him to our staff,” Saban said when hiring Bala. “He has a wealth of experience and a proven track record of developing football players both on and off the field. He is an excellent teacher, an excellent recruiter and coaches with great passion and enthusiasm.” 

Fisch completed his UW staff by bringing seven coaches with him from Arizona, hiring two off the New England Patriots staff and now adding Bala from Alabama.

From Arizona, he retained offensive coordinator Brendan Carroll, running-backs coach Scottie Graham, receivers coach Kevin Cummings, running-backs coach Jimmie Dougherty, tight end Jordan Paopao, cornerbacks coach John Richardson and defensive-line coach Jason Kaufusi

From the Patriots, Fisch hired Steve Belichick as his defensive coordinator and Vinnie Sunseri as his safeties coach. Belichick had coached linebackers for the NFL team, but will handle an all-encompassing defensive role in Montlake.

Bala takes over a UW position group currently better stocked than most. He'll work with a pair of seniors in two-year returning starter Alphonzo Tuputala and projected starter and  All-Pac-12 honorable-mention selection Carson Bruener, plus San Jose State transfer Bryun Parham and promising UW redshirt freshman Deven Bryant.

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Dan Raley
DAN RALEY

Dan Raley has worked for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, as well as for MSN.com and Boeing, the latter as a global aerospace writer. His sportswriting career spans four decades and he's covered University of Washington football and basketball during much of that time. In a working capacity, he's been to the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, the MLB playoffs, the Masters, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and countless Final Fours and bowl games.

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