THE DeRUYTER FILE

PERSONAL

Year in Coaching: 39th in 2026
Year at K-State: First in 2026
Hometown: Long Beach, California
Education: Air Force Academy, 1985 (Bachelor's in Management); Regis, 1992 (MBA in Market Strategy)
Wife: Kara
Children: Jake, Christina

COACHING EXPERIENCE

1985: Air Force (Defensive Graduate Assistant)
1989: Air Force (Inside Linebackers)
1990: Air Force (Outside Linebackers)
1991-92: Air Force (Secondary)
1995-98: Ohio (Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Backs)
1999-00: Navy (Defensive Coordinator)
2001: Navy (Defensive Backs)
2002-04: Ohio (Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Backs)
2005-06: Nevada (Co-Defensive Coordiantor/Safeties)
2007: Air Force (Defensive Coordinator/Safeties)
2008-09: Air Force (Defensive Coordinator/Assistant Head Coach)
2010-11: Texas A&M (Defensive Coordinator/Assistant Head Coach)
2012-16: Fresno State (Head Coach)
2017: California (Defensive Coordinator/Inside Linebackers)
2018-19: California (Defensive Coordinator/Outside Linebackers)
2020: California (Defensive Coordinator/Associate Head Coach/Inside Linebackers)
2021: Oregon (Defensive Coordinator/Outside Linebackers)
2022-24: Texas Tech (Defensive Coordinator)
2026: K-State (Assistant Head Coach for Defense)

POSTSEASON EXPERIENCE

1982: Fall of Fame Bowl (Air Force)*
1983: Independence Bowl (Air Force)*
1984: Independence Bowl (Air Force)*
1985: Bluebonnet Bowl (Air Force)
1989: Liberty Bowl (Air Force)
1990: Liberty Bowl (Air Force)
1991: Liberty Bowl (Air Force)
1992: Liberty Bowl (Air Force)
2005: Hawai'i Bowl (Nevada)
2006: MPC Computers Bowl (Nevada)
2007: Armed Forces Bowl (Air Force)
2008: Armed Forces Bowl (Air Force)
2009: Armed Forces Bowl (Air Force)
2010: Cotton Bowl (Texas A&M)
2011: Texas Bowl (Texas A&M)
2012: Hawai'i Bowl (Fresno State)
2013: Las Vegas Bowl (Fresno State)
2014: Hawai'i Bowl (Fresno State)
2018: Cheez-It Bowl (California)
2019: Rexbox Bowl (California)
2021: Alamo Bowl (Oregon)
2022: Texas Bowl (Texas Tech)
2023: Independence Bowl (Texas Tech)
2024: Liberty Bowl (Texas Tech)
* As a Player

A veteran coach who has 29 years of experience as either a head coach or defensive coordinator, Tim DeRuyter is in his first season at K-State in 2026 as the program’s assistant head coach for defense.

DeRuyter spent 21 consecutive years as either a defensive coordinator or head coach, serving as the coordinator at Ohio (2002-04), Nevada (2005-06), Air Force (2007-09), Texas A&M (2010-11), California (2017-20), Oregon (2021) and Texas Tech (2022-24).

He was the head coach at Fresno State from 2012 through 2016, guiding Fresno State to two Mountain West Conference titles while working alongside as current K-State defensive coordinator Jordan Peterson, co-defensive coordinator Marcus Woodson and linebackers coach Nick Toth.

A 2018 semifinalist for the Broyles Award given to the nation’s top assistant coach, DeRuyter has coached teams that have advanced to 21 bowl games over his career and been part of six conference championship squads. Additionally, DeRuyter has tutored players to an impressive 132 all-conference selections during his three decades of experience at the collegiate level.

Most recently, DeRuyter was the defensive coordinator for the 2022 through 2024 seasons at Texas Tech. Over his first two seasons in Lubbock, the Red Raiders surrendered less than 30.0 points per game in consecutive years for the first time since the 2008-09 campaigns. That included the 2023 campaign in which Texas Tech allowed only 26.0 points per game – its lowest average since 2009 – en route to its second-consecutive season with a winning Big 12 record.

Under DeRuyter, the Red Raiders led the Big 12in both fourth down defense (34.4%) and red zone defense (74.1%), while ranking eighth and ninth in the country in the two categories, respectively. Additionally, Texas Tech was among the top teams in the country in limiting opponents to only a field goal as it led all Power 5 schools and ranked fourth in the FBS for red zone attempts that resulted in field goals.

Part of Texas Tech’s early success defensively stemmed from the play of Tyree Wilson, who flourished in DeRuyter’s scheme, moving to the outside linebacker and rush end position that has consistently produced future NFL draft picks. Wilson put together his best season as a Red Raider under DeRuyter in 2022 as he totaled a career-best 61 tackles, including 14.0 tackles for loss and 7.0 sacks, despite missing the final four games due to injury.

Wilson earned First Team All-America honors by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), Texas Tech’s defensive end to pick up the honor since 1998. An All-Big 12 First Team selection, Wilson was also tabbed a First Team All-American by USA TODAY, The Athletic and Phil Steele.

Wilson became the third different rush end under DeRuyter to hear his name called in the first 10 picks of the NFL Draft as the Las Vegas Raiders selected him seventh overall, making him the highest-drafted defensive player in program history and the second-highest drafted player overall.

Wilson is one of 19 players to be drafted during DeRuyter’s storied career, which includes two other top-10 selections in NFL great Von Miller at Texas A&M and Kayvon Thibodeaux at Oregon as well as a pair of second rounders in quarterback Derek Carr and wide receiver Davante Adams during his tenure at Fresno State. DeRuyter added two new names to his NFL pupils following the 2023 season as defensive back Dadrion Taylor-Demerson was selected in the fourth round by the Arizona Cardinals, while edge end Myles Cole was picked in the seventh round by the Jacksonville Jaguars.

During DeRuyter’s lone season at Oregon, the Ducks finished the season ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 after compiling a 10-4 record, which featured appearances in the Pac-12 Championship and the Valero Alamo Bowl. Oregon boasted one of the nation’s most opportunistic defenses in 2021 as it closed the year ranked fifth in the nation with 17 interceptions and 26th with 22 total takeaways.

DeRuyter’s unit featured two of the nation’s top players in Thibodeaux and safety Verone McKinley III. Thibodeaux, who became the first Oregon defensive standout to earn unanimous First Team All-American accolades. He was a finalist for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and Chuck Bednarik Award and was later selected with the fifth overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft by the New York Giants, marking only the second time in Oregon history a defensive player has been chosen in the top five.

Under DeRuyter, McKinley was a Consensus All-American after sharing the national lead with six interceptions, and he, combined with Thibodeau, gave Oregon its first pair of Consensus All-Americans since 2014 and only its third tandem in program history. McKinley was also a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, becoming only the second Oregon defensive back to be recognized as a consensus All-American and be named a finalist for the award.

DeRuyter’s success at Oregon followed four successful seasons at Cal where he took a defense that allowed 42.6 points per game in the season prior to his arrival and immediately cut that in half by his second year. Cal ranked 22nd nationally in 2018 in scoring defense (20.4 points per game) and No. 33 in 2019 (21.9 points per game). The Golden Bears followed that by only giving up 26.5 points per game during his final season in 2020.

Cal held 20 of its last 24 opponents under DeRuyter to 24 points or less en route to a pair of bowl appearances at the 2018 Cheez-It Bowl and the 2019 Redbox Bowl. It marked the first time Cal went to bowls in consecutive seasons since the 2008-09 campaigns. DeRuyter had 20 of his players earn All-Pac-12 honors during his tenure with five Golden Bears ultimately hearing their name called during the NFL Draft.

Evan Weaver was a highlight of DeRuyter’s defenses at Cal as the linebacker collected Consensus All-America honors in 2019 after leading the country with a school record 182 tackles. Weaver, a finalist for the Butkus and Lombardi Awards, was tabbed the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year that season prior to being selected in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals. He was one of three Cal players to hear his name called in the 2020 draft and one of five Cal defensive standouts to head to the league during DeRuyter’s tenure.

Weaver was one of two All-Americans to star at Cal under DeRuyter as fellow linebacker Jordan Kunaszyk garnered second-team recognition from Sports Illustrated just a year earlier after finishing with a team-high 148 tackles. Kunaszyk was also an All-Pac 12 First Tedam honoree that season.

DeRuyter moved back to his roots as a defensive coordinator following four-plus seasons as the head coach at Fresno State where he compiled a 30-30 overall record. He led the Bulldogs to back-to-back Mountain West Conference titles in 2012 and 2013, marking Fresno State’s first conference crown since the 1999 season. It was the first time the Bulldogs had claimed consecutive conference championships since the 1992 and 1993 campaigns.

His early work with the Bulldogs was impressive as he took over a 4-9 team from the season before and improved Fresno State to 20-6 overall and 14-2 in Mountain West play over a two-year stretch. Fresno State closed the 2013 season – his second in charge of the program – at 11-2 overall, matching the school record for most wins in a season.

The Bulldogs boasted one of the top quarterbacks in college football under DeRuyter in Carr, who earned All-America honors in 2012 and 2013 and was named the MWC Offensive Player of the Year following those two seasons. He and Adams were two of six Bulldogs selected in the NFL Draft under DeRuyter as they were second round picks in 2014 and 2015, respectively.

Fresno State tabbed DeRuyter as its head coach following a pair of successful seasons as the defensive coordinator and assistant head coach at Texas A&M in 2010 and 2011, a spot he also worked with Peterson and Toth. The Aggies were a combined 16-10 in those two seasons with appearances in the Cotton Bowl (2010) and the Meineke Car Care Bowl (2011), the latter of which was a victory over Northwestern in which DeRuyter was tabbed the interim head coach.

Miller flourished under DeRuyter’s direction with the Aggies, claiming the prestigious Butkus Award in 2010 as the nation’s top linebacker. Miller garnered First Team All-America honors for the second time in his career that season before eventually being selected as the No. 2 overall pick by the Denver Broncos during the 2011 NFL Draft.

Even with the departure of Miller, the Aggies featured one of the nation’s best front sevens in 2011 after leading the country with 51 sacks (3.92 per game). Texas A&M also ranked third in the FBS with 8.0 tackles for loss per game as part of a defense that was 12th nationally in rushing defense, giving up only 101.9 yards per game.

DeRuyter began his coaching career as a defensive graduate assistant at his alma mater, Air Force, in 1985 under College Football Hall of Fame head coach Fisher DeBerry. He returned as a defensive assistant from 1989-92 while completing his seven-plus years of active military duty following graduation from the academy.

DeRuyter earned his bachelor’s degree in management from the Air Force Academy in 1985 and added an MBA in market strategy from Regis University in 1992. A four-year letterwinner for the Falcons prior to earning his degree, DeRuyter spent two years in private business before returning to coaching in 1994.

DeRuyter and his wife, Kara, have a son, Jake, and a daughter, Christina, graduates of Air Force and Texas A&M, respectively. Christina is the current Director of Football Logistics for the Los Angeles Chargers.