Purdue Coach Barry Odom Fires Defensive Coordinator Kevin Kane
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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue has fired defensive coordinator Kevin Kane. An announcement was made by the university on Sunday, one day after the Boilermakers lost to Maryland 34-29 on Homecoming. The move is effective immediately.
No further details have been provided regarding Purdue's plan for defensive coordinator at the time of this initial report.
Kane was hired by head coach Barry Odom following the 2025 season. Former defensive coordinator Mike Scherer left the program to return to UNLV after his lone season with the Boilermakers. It was a hire that drew plenty of criticism at the time, and didn't gain any popularity with Purdue's performance through the first nine games.
The Boilermakers are 3-6 on the season and have lost three straight games to Washington, Penn State and Maryland. Purdue surrendered 31 points or more in all three of those losses.
Purdue's defense is allowing 32.3 points per game this season, ranking 17th in the Big Ten. The Boilermakers also ranked 17th in rushing defense, 17th in passing defense and 18th in total defense.
Kane was Purdue's defensive coordinator in 2023 and 2024 under previous head coach Ryan Walters. He did not have any success in his prior stint in West Lafayette, a major reason why Odom's decision to bring him back was so unpopular.
A move this late in the season may not do much for the Boilermakers, who have games against Iowa, Wisconsin and Indiana remaining on the schedule. However, it's a sign that Odom was willing to make a difficult decision and will look ahead to fixing Purdue's issues on the defensive end.
Odom makes the right call
The decision to terminate Kane was a move Odom had to make, especially after Purdue's dreadful defensive performance in the second half against the Terps. The Boilers held the Terps to just seven points in the first 30 minutes, but the wheels fell off after halftime.
Purdue allowed four explosive plays that all led to touchdowns in the second half, allowing Maryland to spoil Homecoming. One of those was a 75-yard run up the middle of the field by DeJuan Williams, and the other was an 87-yard screen pass in which Chris Durr Jr. broke five tackles to score a touchdown.
Saturday's game against Maryland was just the tip of the iceberg, though. Purdue's defense has been putrid all season. In addition to the high yardage totals, the Boilers have allowed opponents to convert third downs at a 47.52% clip, the worst number in the Big Ten.
The only down side to Odom's decision is that Purdue will now be hiring a third defensive coordinator in three seasons under his leadership. Will the job be appealing to any quality candidates? Or is Purdue stuck making another gamble?
Either way, Odom was in a position where he couldn't afford to keep Kane on the sideline. Missed tackles, poor scheme and high point totals sealed the defensive coordinator's fate.
How will the Boilermaker defense respond in the final three games with someone else calling the shots?
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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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