We are 3 weeks into the football offseason and Purdue has announced several moves to the coaching staff under Barry Odom, including the return of a familiar face. The moves are as follows: Kevin Kane – Hired as Linebackers Coach and Defensive Coordinator Zach Crabtree – Hired as Offensive Line Coach Cornell Ford – Moved from Wide Receivers Coach to Running Backs Coach and continues as Assistant Head Coach Bilal Marshall – Promoted from Offensive Analyst to Wide Receivers Coach Charles Clark – Added
the title of Defensive Passing Game Coordinator in addition to Defensive Backs Coach
The biggest news amongst these moves is the return of Kevin Kane. Kane, the former defensive coordinator under Ryan Walters, spent last season as the nickels and outside linebackers coach at Minnesota. Though Kane was not responsible for calling plays during his tenure at Purdue, the Boilermakers were heavily scrutinized for their defensive play during the 2023 and 2024 seasons. The 2026 season will act as a fresh start at Purdue for Kane under Barry Odom as he among all of the Purdue coaches will need to search for ways to be competitive in an increasingly difficult-to-navigate football environment.
