What Purdue football will pay Kevin Kane as defensive coordinator
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Kevin Kane's return to Purdue football's staff after one season away did not result in a higher first-year salary in his new contract as defensive coordinator.
Kane will make $850,000 in the first year of a two-year deal to start his second tenure with the Boilermakers. That is the same salary he made in his previous contract as defensive coordinator, under Ryan Walters. Kane's salary rises to $1 million in the second season.
Those contract details and others were released by Purdue in response to public records requests.
Kane spent two seasons as defensive coordinator under Walters before being fired with the majority of the staff following the 2024 season. After the firing, Kane was owed his $850,000 contract for 2025, minus the salary he made as a defensive analyst at Minnesota.
Barry Odom hired Kane to replace Mike Scherer, who returned to UNLV as linebackers coach. Scherer was scheduled to make $1.1 million in 2026 and $1.2 million in 2027.
Defensive backs coach Charles Clark, who received a title bump to defensive passing game coordinator, received a raise to $550,000 and a one-year contract extension through 2027. He previously made $425,000.
Additionally, offensive coordinator Josh Henson — who was scheduled to make $1.2 million in 2026-27 — took a slight pay cut to $1.175 million. He remains scheduled to make $1.3 million in his third contract year.
Those contracts brings the 2025 salary pool for Purdue's three coordinators, seven position coaches and strength coach to $6.3 million. That's a slight increase from $6.25 million in Odom's first season.
That pool could increase further pending any raises not yet announced. Clark's extension is the only one announced thus far. Several others — special teams coordinator James Shibest, running backs coach Cornell Ford, quarterbacks coach Darin Hinshaw, defensive line coach Kelvin Green and defensive ends coach Jake Trump — remain on contracts which expire after the 2026 season.
Per the contract's buyout language, Kane is owed 100% of his contract if fired without cause. He owes 100% of the contract's remaining value if he chooses to leave prior to Dec. 31, 2026. He owes no more than 60% if leaving after that.
Kane and the other coaches remain eligible for the staff's standard bonus structure (non-cumulative):
- Academics: 3% of annual base pay if equaling target GPA range, 6% if exceeding it. (Paid at 50% for academic year ending June 30, 2025.)
- First place Big Ten finish: 3%. Second place: 1.5%.
- Big Ten championship game appearance: 3%. Big Ten championship game win: 6%
- Non-College Football Playoff bowl: 7.5%
- Non-CFP Big Ten bowl: 10%
- CFP Round of 12: 12%
- CFP Round of 8: 15%
- CFP Final Four: 18%
- CFP Championship appearance: 20%
- CFP Championship victory: 25%
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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Kevin Kane salary, Purdue football coach buyout, raises, extension
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