Baylor to hire Inoke Breckterfield as its next DL coach

Baylor is set to hire former Washington defensive line coach Inoke Breckterfield to fill is vacant defensive line position. Breckterfield comes to Waco after spending the last two seasons (2022-2023) at the University of Washington where he helped the Huskies to the CFP Championship appearance last season.

In Breckterfield's first season in the Pacific Northwest, he helped coach a defensive unit that led the Huskies to an 11-2 overall record. Washington's rushing defense, which had been ranked 11th in the Pac-12 and 108th in the FBS just one year earlier, jumped to third in the conference and 25th in the nation in 2022. Additionally, the UW improved from 98th in the nation in team sacks, to 20th.

Breckterfield was hired briefly at San Diego State earlier this year when former Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer retained Alabama defensive line coach Freddie Roach to his staff upon his arrival in Tuscaloosa. 

Prior to Washington, he spent one season at Vanderbilt following six seasons at Wisconsin where he also oversaw the defensive line.
 
With Breckterfield on staff, Wisconsin posted a 56-19 record and went to three New Year's Six bowl games. Overall, the Badgers won five bowl games and three Big Ten West Division titles in his tenure. Statistically, in his tenure, the Badgers allowed an average of just 16.6 points and 107.7 rushing yards per game.
 
In 2020, Breckterfield directed a defensive line that limited opponents to 299.9 yards per game, fewest in the Big Ten, and 96.1 rushing yards per game, the second-lowest average in the conference. Wisconsin finished third in the Big Ten in scoring defense.
 
Breckterfield rebuilt the Badgers' depth up front in 2019 around a talented trio of defensive ends in Isaiahh Loudermilk, Garrett Rand and former walk-on Matt Henningsen. That group combined with freshman nose tackle Keeanu Benton to rack up 17.0 tackles for loss and 10 of the Badgers' school-record 51 sacks — the nation's second-best total.
 
In his first year in Madison, Breckterfield helped the Badgers build the nation's top defense, ranking No. 1 in scoring defense (13.7 points per game) and No. 2 in total defense (268.5 yards per game) in 2015. He developed a deep front line for the Badgers' 3-4 defense, anchored by a trio of defensive ends (Alec James, Chikwe Obasih and Conor Sheehy) who became part of the winningest senior class in school history with a four-year record of 45-10.
 
James and Sheehy were second-team All-Big Ten selections as seniors in 2017, contributing to a unit that won a school-record 13 games while finishing the season ranked No. 2 nationally in total defense (262.1 yards), No. 3 in scoring defense (13.9 points), No. 3 in rushing defense (98.4 yards) and No. 1 in passing efficiency defense (96.4).
 
Breckterfield joined the staff at Wisconsin after one year of coaching the defensive line and two years overseeing the defensive tackles at Pittsburgh.

While at Pitt, Breckterfield coached eventual All-Pro Aaron Donald, a unanimous All-American in 2013 and a first-round NFL Draft pick in 2014. In 2013, Donald was named ACC Defensive Player of the Year and won the Nagurski Trophy, Bednarik Award, Lombardi Award and Outland Trophy.

Breckterfield arrived at Pittsburgh after coaching the defensive line at UCLA in 2011. The Bruins played in the inaugural Pac-12 Championship Game and the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl that season.
 
Prior to UCLA, Breckterfield coached the defensive line at Montana during the 2010 season. The Grizzlies led the Big Sky Conference and ranked 14th nationally in tackles for loss per game with 7.6, and stood second in the league and 18th nationally in sacks. The year prior to Breckterfield's arrival, Montana ranked 103rd and 88th in those categories, respectively.
 
Breckterfield landed his first full-time coaching position as defensive line coach at Weber State in 2009.