Purdue has hired USC offensive coordinator Josh Henson for the same role as coach Barry Odom's new staff takes shape with the Boilermakers.
Henson, who spent the past three seasons with coach Lincoln Riley at USC and also coached the Trojans' offensive line, will also work with the tight ends at Purdue. He served as Missouri's offensive coordinator from 2009 to 2015, when Odom was the team's defensive coordinator. Henson, a former Oklahoma State offensive lineman, also has coached at his alma mater and at LSU and Texas A&M.
"I've known Josh for almost 30 years and have always had respect for his approach to the game," said Odom in a release. "His experience is elite, his ability to build a game plan and put players in a position to be successful is very impressive. He has shown a great ability to identify, recruit and develop players at all positions. He will be able to create an offense that is attacking in all aspects. I'm thrilled to have Josh here leading our offense!"
The Boilers also are targeting Mike Scherer as their defensive coordinator, sources said. Scherer served in the same role for Odom at UNLV, which finishes its season tonight against Cal in the Art of Sport LA Bowl at SoFi Stadium. A former linebacker under Odom at Missouri, Scherer has spent his entire career with Odom, starting at Missouri followed by stops at Arkansas and UNLV.
Purdue announced Tuesday that Odom is retaining running backs coach Lamar Conard, who played for the Boilers in the 1990s.