Familiar Name Surfaces to Fill Purdue's Defensive Coordinator Opening
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A familiar name in West Lafayette has emerged as a top candidate to fill Purdue's vacancy at defensive coordinator.
Pete Nakos of On3 is reporting that Minnesota defensive coordinator Kevin Kane has become the "target" of Purdue's search. It would be a return to West Lafayette for Kane, who served as the defensive coordinator for the Boilermakers for the 2023 and 2024 seasons under then-head coach Ryan Walters.
Head coach Barry Odom recently parted ways with defensive coordinator Mike Scherer after one season in West Lafayette. This past season, Purdue ranked 16th in the Big Ten in scoring defense, allowing 31.8 points per game. The Boilers also ranked 17th in total defense, 18th in pass defense, and 16th in run defense.
After leaving Purdue, Kane was named the defensive coordinator at Minnesota for the 2025 season. The Gophers allowed 23.4 points per game, which ranked 13th in the Big Ten. They also allowed 342.8 yards per contest, which was 11th in the league.
During his coaching career, Kane has had stops at Kansas, Wisconsin, Northern Illinois, SMU, and Illinois, in addition to Purdue and Minnesota.
Purdue's defense struggled under Kane
On paper, Kane doesn't appear to be a great fit on Odom's staff. When he ran the Purdue defense in 2023 and 2024, the Boilermakers finished last in the Big Ten in scoring defense and pass defense both seasons.
The Boilermakers were particularly bad in 2024, finishing last in the Big Ten in every major defensive statistical category. Purdue allowed 39.9 points and 452.7 yards per game. That year, the team didn't rank higher than 117th nationally in scoring defense, total defense, pass defense, or run defense.
Purdue also ranked last nationally in forced turnovers that season.
Purdue defense | 2023 (national rank) | 2024 (national rank) |
|---|---|---|
Points allowed | 30.4 (104th) | 39.9 (131st) |
Rush defense | 140.58 (45th) | 200.00 (120th) |
Pass defense | 241.5 (97th) | 252.7 (117th) |
Total defense | 382.1 (69th) | 452.7 (124th) |
Turnovers forced | 18 (59th) | 5 (T-133rd) |
Sacks | 35 (T-22nd) | 22 (T-84th) |
3rd down % | 41.21% (93rd) | 48.30% (128th) |
Red zone TD% | 62.22% (T-78th) | 78.43% (133rd) |
Coming off a 2-10 campaign in 2025, Odom needed to make some changes to the staff in an effort to get the train back on the tracks in West Lafayette. But hiring Kane to be the team's defensive coordinator feels like a risky move.
Yes, he does have familiarity with the program, but he was associated with one of the worst eras in the history of Purdue football. Perhaps Kane could find more success on Odom's staff than he did with Walters.
Odom has made three staff changes since the end of the season, parting ways with offensive line coach Vance Vice, running backs coach Lamar Conard, and Scherer. He has also named Bilal Marshall the next wide receivers coach.
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Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.
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