Purdue fires defensive coordinator Kevin Kane after nine games
The gist
Purdue fired defensive coordinator Kevin Kane after nine games, with the team 3-6 and last in the Big Ten in yards allowed.
The midseason move puts head coach Barry Odom's defense under scrutiny with three games left.
How it unfolded
- Dec 2025Purdue hires Kevin Kane as defensive coordinator to succeed Mike Scherer, a move met with criticism that Odom and then-AD Mike Bobinski said they expected and discussed.
- Jan 2026Athletic director Mike Bobinski tells reporters about the hire, "the proof will be in the results."
- Nov 7, 2026Purdue loses 34-29 to a Maryland team that entered on a six-game losing streak, allowing touchdowns of 75, 87 and 44 yards.
Key terms
- defensive coordinator
- A coach responsible for a gridiron football team's defense, ranking below the head coach in the coaching structure.
- Big Ten
- A major U.S. collegiate athletic conference, the oldest in NCAA Division I, originally named for its ten member universities.
Source: Wikipedia