Kevin Kane
Football defensive coordinator at Purdue in 2023-24 and 2026
- Entries
- 11
- On the record
- 0
- Stories
- 1
- Latest entry
- Nov 8, 2026
The record
Kevin Kane played linebacker at Kansas from 2002 to 2005 after helping Rockhurst High School win a state title as a junior. At Kansas he was an honorable mention All-Big 12 pick by the AP as a junior and senior, a three-time Academic All-Big 12 selection and senior captain. He earned a communication studies degree there in 2006 and a master's in education from Wisconsin in 2010, while working as a graduate assistant and quality control coach on the Badgers' staff.
Most of his early coaching came at Northern Illinois, where he coached tight ends, linebackers and special teams from 2011 to 2014 and was part of three Mid-American Conference championship teams, including the 2013 Orange Bowl team. After a season coaching Kansas linebackers in 2015, he returned to NIU as defensive coordinator in 2016, when the Huskies led the conference in red zone defense. SMU named him defensive coordinator in January 2018.
He then spent two seasons at Illinois as assistant head coach and outside linebackers coach under defensive coordinator Ryan Walters. On3 credited that 2022 Illinois defense with the nation's top scoring defense at 12.3 points a game, and in December 2022 reported he would follow Walters to Purdue as defensive coordinator, the first of the two Purdue stints covered in this file.
Roles and honours on the record
- 2002-2005 Linebacker and senior captain, University of Kansas source
- 2011-2014 Assistant coach, Northern Illinois (tight ends and fullbacks, linebackers, special teams) source
- 2016-2017 Defensive coordinator, Northern Illinois source
- 2018 Defensive coordinator, SMU source
- 2021-2022 Assistant head coach and outside linebackers coach, Illinois source
Every entry, newest first
- Reported
On3 reports Kane's two-year Purdue deal pays $850,000 in 2026, with $1 million owed for 2027. Purdue fires DC Kevin Kane; On3 says $1M still owed for 2027
- Reported
AP reports Purdue coach Barry Odom fired defensive coordinator Kevin Kane after a 34-29 loss to Maryland. Purdue fires DC Kevin Kane; On3 says $1M still owed for 2027
- Reported
Purdue Exponent reports Purdue expected to rehire Kane as defensive coordinator. Purdue fires DC Kevin Kane; On3 says $1M still owed for 2027
- Reported
IndyStar reports Kane's $850,000 contract for 2025 and about $275,000 owed with Petrilli if the head coach was fired. Purdue fires DC Kevin Kane; On3 says $1M still owed for 2027
Stories in this file
The record, entry by entry
- 2005 Official He finished a Kansas playing career from 2002 to 2005 as senior captain, after honorable mention All-Big 12 honors from the AP as a junior and senior and three Academic All-Big 12 selections. Northern Illinois Athletics, coaching biography
- 2010 Official He completed a master's in education at Wisconsin after serving as a defensive graduate assistant in 2008-09 and quality control coach in 2010. Northern Illinois Athletics, coaching biography
- 2011 Official He joined Northern Illinois, coaching tight ends and fullbacks, then linebackers and special teams through 2014, and was part of three MAC championship teams, including the 2013 Orange Bowl team. Northern Illinois Athletics, coaching biography
- 2015 Official He coached linebackers at Kansas for one season. Northern Illinois Athletics, coaching biography
- 2016 Official He returned to Northern Illinois as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach; the Huskies led the MAC in red zone defense that season. Northern Illinois Athletics, coaching biography
- 2018-01-16 Official SMU Athletics announced him as the Mustangs' defensive coordinator. SMU Athletics announcement
- 2022-12-17 Reported On3 reported he would be hired as Purdue defensive coordinator under Ryan Walters, after two seasons as Illinois assistant head coach in which the 2022 defense led the nation in scoring defense at 12.3 points a game. On3 report