WEST LAFAYETTE — Barry Odom knew hiring Kevin Kane as Purdue football‘s defensive coordinator would be an unpopular choice.
It was a conversation the Boilermaker coach had with athletic director Mike Bobinski before Kane was tabbed last month for a position he previously served during 2023 and ’24.
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“We recognize that people are going to wring their hands over that,” Bobinski said. “That some misjudgment was made. The proof will ultimately be in the results. It always is.”
Insider: Barry Odom betrays his forward-facing focus as Purdue coach hiring Kevin Kane
After most of Purdue football’s staff was let go following a 1-11 season in 2024, Kane served as outside linebackers and nickel backs coach for Minnesota in 2025.
Mike Scherer left Purdue after one season as defensive coordinator to coach linebackers at UNLV. Kane was hired as the replacement after Odom “interviewed at least seven different options before he ultimately decided that he thought Kevin would be the very best for our circumstance,” Bobinski said.
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Kane signed a two-year contract and will make a base salary of $850,000 the first year. His salary increases to $1 million in the second year.
In Kane’s previous stint as Purdue’s defensive coordinator, the Boilermakers had the Big Ten’s last ranked defense in each of his two seasons and in 2024 allowed 39.9 points per game, ranking 131st out of 134 FBS programs.
“I know Barry is very confident and has reported to me multiple times what a great job Kevin has already done with our existing roster, just connecting with those guys and giving them a sense where we’re going from a defensive perspective,” Bobinski said.
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Sam King covers sports for the Journal & Courier. Email him at sking@jconline.com and follow him on X and Instagram @samueltking.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Kevin Kane Purdue defensive coordinator candidates, Barry Odom’s best fit
