WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue Football Head Coach Barry Odom has announced several staff changes as the Boilermakers look ahead to 2026. Kevin Kane returns to Purdue as the program’s defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, while Zach Crabtree joins the Boilermakers as the new offensive line coach. Cornell Ford and Bilal Marshall take on different roles with the program, while defensive backs coach Charles Clark has been elevated to defensive passing game coordinator in addition to mentoring the Purdue secondary.
Ford moves to the running backs room to coach the Purdue backfield, a position he has coached for nine seasons over his career. Marshall, a former Purdue receiver who returned to West Lafayette for the 2025 campaign as an offensive analyst under Odom, has been promoted to an assistant coach that will guide the Boilermaker wideouts. After coaching a secondary that made 35 pass breakups as a unit and included Tahj Ra-El tying for the team lead in tackles, Clark takes on a larger role with the overall pass defense heading into the 2026 season.
Kane is back in West Lafayette after spending the past season as the nickel and outside linebackers coach at Minnesota. During his time up north, the Golden Gophers ranked second in the Big Ten Conference in tackles-for-loss and sacks, while also ranking 11th and 13th in the country, respectively.
“We’re excited to have Coach Kane join our staff and add to our program in all areas,” said Odom “I’ve known Coach Kane as a player, coach and have always respected the way he performed. Over the years, we have shared ideas and philosophies, and I know what he can accomplish. In speaking with him about this opportunity, I could feel a great sense of hunger and excitement about leading the Purdue Defense. I’m excited for his wife Theresa and their kids to be part of our Boilermaker Family.”
Following a season as the offensive line coach at Fresno State, Crabtree reunites with offensive coordinator Josh Henson. Crabtree spent two seasons under Henson at USC as an assistant offensive line coach. He also played under Henson as a First Team All-Big 12 offensive lineman at Oklahoma State before going to the NFL and signing with the Los Angeles Chargers.
“I’m excited to have Coach Crabtree join our coaching staff, said Odom “I have watched his groups play at a high level over the past couple of years, and he will bring great value to our offensive line play as well as the overall program. I know he and his wife Megan are excited to be Boilermakers.”
As an offensive analyst in 2025, Marshall assisted in coaching the Purdue wide receivers. He helped guide the duo of Michael Jackson III and Nitro Tuggle, who combined for 1,070 yards to lead the Boilermaker receiving corps. Marshall returned to his alma mater, as he was a Purdue wide receiver from 2012-16.
“Coach Marshall has been an immediate impact for our players and organization,” said Odom. “He obviously has connections at Purdue that run deep with him being a former player, adding a great knowledge of the WR position as well as offensive football. I am excited for his influence to grow in our program. He, his wife Alexa and their son Ryder are proud Boilermakers.”
ABOUT KANE
Kane, Purdue defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, returns to Purdue under Odom after spending the 2025 campaign as the nickels and outside linebackers coach at Minnesota.
Following an All-Big 12 Conference career as a linebacker at Kansas (2002-05), Kane has spent two decades on the sidelines building some of the most formidable defenses in the nation at Wisconsin, Northern Illinois, Kansas, SMU and Illinois.
In his brief stint at Minnesota before deciding to return to Purdue, Golden Gophers ranked second in the Big Ten in tackles-for-loss and sacks, while also ranking 11th and 13th in the country, respectively.
Kane served as Purdue’s defensive coordinator for two seasons (2023-24) before heading to Minnesota. In his first season in West Lafayette, the Purdue defense recorded 35 sacks, the most since 2004 and the third-most in program history. Individually, Dillon Thieneman became an All-American (Third Team – AP) and was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year after setting school records for interceptions (6) and solo tackles (74) by a freshman; both marks ranked third nationally by any defender in college football throughout the 2023 campaign. On the edges of the defense, the duo of Nic Scourton and Kydran Jenkins had more sacks and TFLs than any other teammates in the conference, as both Boilermakers cracked the Big Ten’s Top 3 in both categories. Scourton led the conference with 10 sacks, becoming the eighth Boilermaker in history to crack double digits and the first since 2010.
Kane led Illinois’ group of outside linebackers to new heights in 2022, as Seth Coleman and Gabe Jacas combined for the most quarterback hits in the nation among edge duos and both were named All-Big Ten Conference Honorable Mention. Jacas was a Freshman All-American after totaling 31 tackles, 5.0 TFLs, and 4.0 sacks, the second-most sacks by an Illini true freshman in program history. Coleman was sixth on the team in tackles with 41 and second in sacks with 4.5, as Illinois produced its best record in 15 years and earned a berth in the ReliaQuest Bowl, the Illini's best bowl since the 2007 season.
Kane was a part of one of the best defensive turnarounds in the nation in 2021, helping Illinois to a 5-7 record and ranked wins over No. 7 Penn State and No. 20 Minnesota. Illinois' scoring defense (31st from 97th), third down defense (31st from 89th), and total defense (52nd from 114th) all improved more than 50 spots in the national rankings from 2020. The Illini made massive gains in the Big Ten defensive rankings, as well, jumping nine-or-more spots in scoring defense (4th from 14th), touchdowns allowed (3rd from 14th), yards allowed per game (5th from 14th), and passing yards allowed per game (1st from 10th).
Prior to his two seasons at Illinois, Kane was the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at SMU for three years. Kane joined the SMU staff in 2018 and in his first two seasons led the Mustangs to several national top 25 rankings, including the No. 1 ranking for sacks per game (3.92) and No. 3 ranking in tackles for loss (8.5 avg) in 2019.
He made the move to SMU after spending the 2016 and 2017 seasons as the defensive coordinator at Northern Illinois. That was his second stint at NIU, having served in multiple capacities for the Huskies from 2011-14. During the 2015 season, Kane coached linebackers at Kansas.
Kane helped lead the Huskies to three Mid-American Conference Championships and five bowl appearances during his time in DeKalb, including a win in the 2012 GoDaddy.com Bowl over Arkansas State. The Huskies ranked 26th in the nation in total defense in 2017, leading the nation in tackles for loss (8.8) and ranking second in sacks (3.31) and fourth in defensive TDs (5). NIU ranked seventh nationally in yards per play allowed at just 4.52, trailing only Alabama, Clemson, Wisconsin, Washington, Ohio State and Michigan.
NIU also ranked in the top 20 in third down conversion percentage defense (11th), rushing defense (16th) and first downs allowed (19th). In 2016, NIU ranked 17th nationally and led the MAC in red zone defense.
Kane made the move to NIU after three seasons (2008-10) at Wisconsin, serving as a graduate assistant (2008-09) and quality control assistant (2010). While at Wisconsin, the Badgers earned berths to the 2008 and 2009 Champs Sports Bowls and 2011 Rose Bowl.
His coaching career began in 2006 at Kansas, where he spent two seasons as a student assistant for his alma mater. He helped the Jayhawks to the 2008 Orange Bowl under Mark Mangino.
A 2006 graduate of the University of Kansas, Kane played linebacker for the Jayhawks, earning All-Big 12 honorable mention accolades from the Associated Press as a junior and senior. He helped Kansas to a pair of bowl appearances, including a win in the 2005 Fort Worth Bowl. Kane was a three-time Academic All-Big 12 honoree and was named team captain as a senior. He graduated from Rockhurst High School in Kansas City, where he helped lead the Hawklets to a Missouri state championship as a junior. Kane earned his master's degree in education at the University of Wisconsin in 2010.
He and wife Theresa have two sons, Jack and Colin, and one daughter, Nora.
ABOUT CRABTREE
Crabtree joined the Boilermakers after spending the 2025 campaign as the offensive line coach at Fresno State.
Under Crabtree’s tutelage, Jacob Spomer became a Group of Five All-American (HERO Sports) and First Team All-Mountain West offensive lineman. According to Pro Football Focus, Spomer was the highest rated center overall in the Mountain West and had the highest pass blocking rating among Mountain West centers as well.
Crabtree arrived at Fresno State from USC, where he was with the Trojans for three years. Prior to the 2024 season, he was named assistant offensive line coach under offensive coordinator Josh Henson. Crabtree spent the 2023 and 2022 seasons as a graduate assistant.
In 2021, Crabtree mentored the offensive line as an analyst at Oklahoma State. He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Baylor (2019-20), working with the offensive line.
To close out his playing career, Crabtree played for the Los Angeles Chargers from 2017-18 but had to retire due to a knee injury.
Crabtree had a stellar collegiate career as an offensive lineman at Oklahoma State for five seasons (2013-17), which included playing for Henson and starting 46 games at right tackle. As a senior in 2017, he earned First Team All-Big 12 (Coaches) and Second Team All-Big 12 (AP) honors. Crabtree was also honored by the Oklahoma State coaching staff with the Vernon Grant Award twice throughout his career, an accolade recognizing outstanding leadership, spirit and enthusiasm. As a junior in 2016, he made the All-Big 12 Second Team (Coaches). Off the field, he landed on the Big 12 All-Academic Second Team in 2014.
Crabtree received his bachelor’s degree in sports management from Oklahoma State in 2017. He prepped at Mansfield High School in Mansfield, Texas.
ABOUT MARSHALL
Marshall returned to his alma mater prior to the 2025 season, joining Odom’s staff as an offensive analyst that worked with the wide receivers.
Prior to coming back to Purdue, Marshall spent two seasons as West Virginia’s wide receivers coach. In 2023, the Mountaineers had two players ranked in the nation Top 16 in yards per reception (Hudson Clement – third with 21.82 yards per reception and Devin Carter – 16th with 18.56 yards per reception). Clement led the team with 177 receiving yards and three touchdowns in his first career start against Duquesne, joining Tavon Austin and Stedman Bailey as the only Mountaineers to reach 175 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns in one game. West Virginia averaged 15.02 passing yards per completion, ranking No. 2 in the Big 12 and No. 3 among Power 5 schools.
Marshall rejoined the Mountaineer Football coaching staff after serving as the wide receivers coach at VMI in 2022. While at VMI, his leading receiver, Chance Knox, had 58 catches for 535 yards and two touchdowns. He mentored Isaiah Lemmond, who earned All-Southern Conference Freshman honors after finishing second on the team with 29 catches for 453 receiving yards and a touchdown. Lemmond recorded two or more catches in the last six games, including six against No. 9 Chattanooga, Furman and No. 10 Samford.
Prior to VMI, Marshall was an offensive graduate assistant at West Virginia (2020-21), working with the wide receivers. In 2021, the Mountaineers had four receivers with 30 or more receptions, three with more than 500 yards receiving and four with multiple touchdowns. Two of his receivers, Winston Wright Jr. and Bryce Ford-Wheaton, were named All-Big 12 Honorable Mention performers.
In 2020, WVU had three receivers with 30 or more catches, three with 400 or more yards and five with multiple touchdowns. Wright earned All-Big 12 Second Team honors after collecting a team-high 47 receptions for 453 yards and two touchdowns.
Marshall began his coaching career at Champagnat High School in Miami, Florida, where he was the offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach for a team that won the Class 2A State Championship in 2019.
In 2017, Marshall played in the Canadian Football League for the Ottawa Red Blacks. He was a receiver for Purdue from 2012-16 and helped the Boilermakers reach the Heart of Dallas Bowl in 2012. As a senior, Marshall was the team’s second-leading receiver with 40 catches for 477 yards and three touchdowns.
Marshall, a native of Miami Gardens, Florida, earned his bachelor’s degree from Purdue in 2016 in organizational leadership and his master’s degree in communications studies from West Virginia in 2021.
Marshall, and his wife, Alexa, have a son, Ryder.