The actual “DC search” may be a misnomer, at this point. Jimmy Lake is tasked with replacing one of the top defensive coordinators in the country.

Pete Kwiatkowski is getting the national recognition he deserves by going to Texas, and he’s turned down other offers in the past — but this one — he took.

But there’s one name that continues to be forgotten when you talk about the Husky Defensive Coordinator, as it’s been the past year, you have to remember Ikaika Malloe.

He was promoted to co-coordinator along Kwiatkowski in 2020 — and we believe he should be the only name to consider when filling the vacant position left by Kwiatkowski.

Here’s the reasons that standout:

Washington has 20 starters returning from 2020, and they have a chance (and are projected nationally) to be a very strong team. The defensive system has been in place for many years — it’s familiar to the players — and that familiarity is a huge reason Malloe should take the reins.

Malloe has worked hand-in-hand with Kwiatkowski since 2015, when he was hired as d-line coach.

Malloe gleaned so much knowledge and experience to be a defensive coordinator under Coach K’s tutelage, and Jimmy Lake also worked with the two to create a Husky Defense that is year-in and year-out one of the best in the land.

Again, familiarity comes into a play. To a man, the players love Malloe. He’s not only a coach, he’s a mentor to many players. His defensive line is a family to him.

He brings them to his home, his wife cooks for the group, it’s the Husky D-line “Ohana”. He does all of this on his own dime.

Plus, Malloe played for the University of Washington — and in recruiting, being able to “sell” a program is important; “Do you believe in the program?”, “Do you believe in the Husky way?”…

No one can ask this question from the heart more than Malloe because it he put it all on the field as a Husky player, himself.

And let’s touch on diversity: If you’ve been watching football the past few years and haven’t heard about the importance of diversity then you must be living under a rock.

We all know that college football should have more African American head coaches and more African American coordinators. That’s a fact. But also consider the Polynesian impact on college football — and there’s an extremely low percentage while the percentage of players is very high.

Every year some of the best in the country are of Poly heritage, yet where are the head coaches? The coordinators?

You can throw a name out here and there, but there’s not many.

So when you go into the homes of these players, how do you recruit? Exactly how Ikaika Malloe has recruited. To be able to go into homes of these athletes and convince the parents that they will be valued and their cultural values will be honored and preserved at the University of Washington.

And to be honest? It’s Malloe’s time.

Just like it was Jimmy Lake’s time to move to head coach, Malloe should be the guy who steps into the defensive coordinator.

Personality-wise, Malloe is about as genuine a person as you could ever know. There isn’t a player or coach who would have anything negative about Malloe. He is honest, humble, and yet he has a fire for the x’s and o’s of defense.

All coaching staffs need to get along and be cohesive, and getting the right fit with any member or members of the personnel is vital to a program’s success.

Malloe is the right fit.

Whether he’s on the field telling his players to “get your mind right” or at home with his family, tutoring his own son who is coming of age at Kennedy Catholic High School, Malloe is a true player’s coach who would maintain the continuity and trajectory of the Husky Defense.

Having said all of this, there’s still one question:

Who will coach the outside linebackers?

This is a legit question — and should be addressed — but there’s been no word whether in secret or in public about what could happen here. There could be some mixing and matching here with the current staff, but this will all work itself out.

Also, there are a lot of fans who aren’t happy unless a head coach makes a sexy, “splash” of a hire when it comes to coordinators. But the old saying “if it’s not broken, don’t fix it” comes to mind with this DC hire.

The most important thing for Jimmy Lake will be to make sure this defensive system is not tinkered with or changed to a fault. Giving the reins to Malloe is not only logical, it’s crucial.