Purdue football coach Barry Odom is on the hunt for a crucial addition to his coaching staff, and it might just come from a rival Big Ten team. This move holds significant importance for the team's future. Football Scoop has reported that Odom's first Boilermakers offensive coordinator will be Josh Henson. Henson, who most recently served as USC coach Lincoln Riley's offensive coordinator and offensive line coach, brings a wealth of experience to the table.

Purdue's Offensive Future in the Hands of a New Coordinator

Background and Previous Roles

Henson held the same titles from 2009 - 2015 at Missouri, where he served as the Tigers' defensive coordinator during a significant part of his tenure. However, Odom did not retain Henson as the offensive coordinator when he took over as the head coach prior to the 2016 season. Henson also has experience as an offensive line coach at Oklahoma State and Texas A&M between his Missouri and USC stints. Interestingly, like Odom, he played middle linebacker at Missouri.During his time at USC, the team's offense ranked fifth among Big Ten teams with an average of 6.37 yards per play last season. In both 2022 and 2023, USC's offense ranked third in the nation with Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Caleb Williams, achieving remarkable numbers of 7.39 and 7.18 yards per play respectively. For context, since 2018, no Purdue offense has averaged more than six yards per play.Last season, USC nearly led all Big Ten teams in rushing yards per attempt with 5.33, just behind Penn State's 5.34. The Trojans' 1.17 sacks allowed per game also ranked fifth in the conference.Although USC is a private school and public salary records for its assistant coaches are not available, Purdue did not specify a specific dollar figure for Odom's assistant coaches. Athletic director Mike Bobinski simply stated, "We're committed to doing what's needed."

The Significance for Odom

The identity of Odom's offensive coordinator is a significant one for a coach with a defensive background. As Odom said last week, he was in talks with multiple candidates, all of whom were still coaching teams headed to bowl games. This shows the level of competition and the importance Odom places on finding the right person for this crucial role.Previous coach Ryan Walters fired his offensive coordinator, Graham Harrell, only four games into his second season. Walters, who had never been an offensive position coach before, took over the offensive play calling himself. As a result, Purdue scored the fewest points in the Big Ten Conference and ranked 15th in yards per play.Currently, Purdue has not announced the hire, and Odom has yet to officially announce any staff additions since his hire on Dec. 8. However, more additions are expected after UNLV plays in the LA Bowl on Wednesday night. This story will be updated as more information becomes available.