Second update:FootballScoop can confirm Kwiatkowski is headed to Austin.
Update:Dave "Softy" Mahler, a longtime Seattle sports radio voice, reports the deal is done and Kwiatkowski is headed to Texas.
Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian is targeting Washington's Pete Kwiatkowski to be the Longhorns' defensive coordinator, The Football Brainiacs reported late Monday night.
Kwiatkowski has been at Washington the past seven seasons, a period that has seen the Huskies lead the Pac-12 in yards per play seven times. Sixteen Washington defenders have become NFL players over that span, including first-rounders Danny Shelton, Marcus Peters and Vita Vea. Ten Huskies have been selected in the first two rounds since the 2015 draft.
Washington has ranked among the Pac-12's top three scoring defenses all seven years under Kwiatkowski's direction, while leading the league annually from 2015 through '18. The Huskies have also rated top-three in pass efficiency defense five times over that span.
Sarkisian's time at Washington does not overlap with Kwiatkowski's, who worked under Chris Petersen at Boise State before arriving in Seattle. Kwiatkowski is a lifelong Pacific Northwesterner who has never worked with Sarkisian before. The former Boise State defensive lineman remained at Washington when Chris Petersen handed the keys to Jimmy Lake, serving as Lake's defensive coordinator and outside linebackers coach this past season. He coached at Snow College, Eastern Washington and Montana State prior to returning to Boise State in 2006.
However, Texas has shown it is willing to pay top dollar for its next defensive coordinator. The Longhorns previously approached Georgia's Dan Lanning, Arkansas's Barry Odom and Alabama's Pete Golding about the job, all of whom earn more than the $1.1 million Kwiatkowski earns at Washington.
While he has no experience west of Utah, Kwiatkowski has proven his ability to stifle the Air Raid offense. In six years coaching against Mike Leach at Washington State, Kwiatkowski helped Washington to six victories while never once allowing the Cougars to cross the 20-point threshold. In total, Washington has allowed five opponents in Kwiatkowski's seven years to hit 35 points -- and three of them came in 2014.
If he takes the job, Kwiatkowski will join a Texas defensive staff that is already formed to a large extent. Bo Davis is expected to be the 'Horns' defensive line coach, Blake Gideon the safeties coach and Terry Joseph the cornerbacks coach and pass game coordinator.
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.