Purdue Football: Kevin Kane Fired After Maryland Loss
Head coach Barry Odom replaces his defensive coordinator one day after a 34-29 defeat to Maryland ended the Boilermakers' 19-game conference losing streak.
By Christopher Singh ·
Purdue head coach Barry Odom dismissed defensive coordinator Kevin Kane on Sunday. The decision came immediately after the Boilermakers suffered a 34-29 loss to Maryland in a Big Ten contest.
The defeat dropped Purdue to a 3-6 record, including 2-4 in conference play. Maryland, also 3-6 overall, used the victory to end a 13-game losing streak in league games. The Terrapins outscored Purdue 27-29 in the second half, capitalizing on multiple long scoring drives.
Kane is now on his second stint as the team's defensive play-caller. He holds the position after previously serving during the tenure of former head coach Ryan Walters. The two coaches shared a 5-19 record over two seasons, which included a 3-15 mark in Big Ten play.
Purdue's defensive struggles intensified during the 2024 season. The team posted a 2-10 record and went winless in conference play for the second straight year. Statistical rankings placed the defense among the worst in the nation. The team also recorded two historic losses to in-state rivals, falling 66-7 to Notre Dame and 66-0 at Indiana.
Odom cited inconsistent play as the primary reason for the change. He noted that the defense allowed four explosive plays that effectively resulted in touchdowns. “You can’t play as good as we did early on defense, and then all of a sudden you give up four explosive plays, really for touchdowns,” Odom said. “You’ll never win games doing that.”
The Boilermakers had shown defensive improvement over the prior month. An October win over Illinois snapped a 19-game losing streak in conference play. However, Saturday's performance against Maryland rekindled fan demands for a staff change.
Kane served as Minnesota's linebackers coach last season before Odom returned him to West Lafayette. Odom is expected to discuss the vacancy at his weekly news conference on Monday. He has personally assumed defensive play-calling duties in previous coaching roles.
Odom emphasized the need for higher consistency across the staff. “I think No. 1, we all have to, starting with the head coach, and all the way down the flow chart, we’ve got to do a better job,” he said. He added that the current group of coaches is working hard but must perform at a level that yields winning results.
