Purdue football hires offensive coordinator Josh Henson from USC

Purdue football coach Barry Odom’s first key addition to his coaching staff could come from a rival Big Ten coaching staff.

Football Scoop reported that Odom’s first Boilermakers offensive coordinator will be Josh Henson. He most recently served as USC coach Lincoln Riley’s offensive coordinator and offensive line coach.

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He held the same title at Missouri from 2009 to 2015. Odom served as the Tigers’ defensive coordinator for most of that tenure. Odom did not retain Henson as the OC when he took over as head coach before the 2016 season.

Football Scoop’s report does not indicate whether Henson will also coach the Boilermakers’ offensive line.

Henson also served as an offensive line coach at Oklahoma State and Texas A&M between his stints at Missouri and USC. Like Odom, he played middle linebacker at Missouri.

USC’s offense ranked fifth among Big Ten teams last season with 6.37 yards per game. It ranked third nationally in both 2022 (7.39) and 2023 (7.18), with quarterback Caleb Williams winning the Heisman Trophy. For comparison, no Purdue offense has averaged more than six yards per play since 2018.

Last season, USC led nearly all Big Ten teams in rushing yards per attempt at 5.33, just behind Penn State at 5.34. The Trojans ranked fifth in the conference with 1.17 sacks allowed per game.

Because USC is a private school, no public salary records are available for its assistant coaches. Purdue did not provide a specific dollar figure for Odom’s assistant coach. Athletic director Mike Bobinski simply said: “We are committed to doing what it takes.”

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Purdue football hires offensive coordinator Josh Henson from USC

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