Purdue Football Promotes Assistant Coach Charles Clark to Pass Game Coordinator

Head Coach Barry Odom sees head coaching potential in Clark, rewards him with new title and pay raise.

Apr. 3, 2026 at 8:05am

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A fragmented, cubist-style painting depicting a Purdue football defensive back making a play on the ball, with the player's form broken down into sharp, overlapping geometric shapes in the team's gold and black colors.Purdue's secondary looks to take flight under the guidance of new pass game coordinator Charles Clark.Lafayette Today

Purdue football has promoted defensive backs coach Charles Clark to the new role of pass game coordinator, along with a significant pay raise to $550,000. Head coach Barry Odom praised Clark's leadership skills, mentorship abilities, and success in recruiting and retaining players in the secondary. Odom believes Clark has the qualities to become a head coach in the future if he chooses that path.

Why it matters

The Purdue secondary struggled last season, ranking last in the Big Ten in yards per pass and yards per completion allowed. By elevating Clark's role and investing in him financially, Odom is signaling his belief that Clark can help turn around the Boilermakers' pass defense and develop the defensive backs into a strength of the team.

The details

Clark, a former standout cornerback at Ole Miss, has shown strong leadership and mentorship skills throughout his coaching career, including five successful seasons at Memphis before joining Purdue last year. He takes a direct, no-nonsense approach with his players that has resonated with the Boilermaker defensive backs. In the offseason, Clark helped Purdue add eight new defensive backs from the transfer portal, including two junior college All-Americans, to address the secondary's issues.

  • Purdue promoted Charles Clark to pass game coordinator and gave him a $125,000 pay raise in the offseason.
  • The Boilermakers' secondary struggled in 2025, ranking last in the Big Ten in yards per pass and yards per completion allowed.

The players

Charles Clark

Purdue's defensive backs coach who was promoted to pass game coordinator with a significant pay raise to $550,000. Odom sees head coaching potential in Clark and wants to keep him at Purdue as long as possible.

Barry Odom

Purdue's head football coach who promoted Charles Clark and praised his leadership skills, mentorship abilities, and success in recruiting and retaining players.

Don Saunders

A senior defensive back and transfer from Utah who praised Clark's direct teaching style and ability to connect with players.

Hudauri Hines

A Purdue cornerback who led the team with 8 pass breakups last season and said Clark is holding the secondary to a high standard to get them all better.

Smiley Bradford

A Purdue nickel who entered the transfer portal but was lured back to the team, part of a 25-player secondary room that Clark oversees without designating specific positions.

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What they’re saying

“I think the blunt teaching and being really direct with what he wants out of his players is a plus. You've got coaches who beat around the bush with what they want. There's no blurred lines with coach Clark.”

— Don Saunders, Senior defensive back

“He's holding us all to a standard and making us all get better at something each day.”

— Hudauri Hines, Purdue cornerback

“When you pour into the guys off the field, and you invest in knowing who they are and how they tick and what makes them go and what makes them go emotionally, you kind of learn them that way, and you apply it to football and teaching.”

— Charles Clark, Purdue pass game coordinator

What’s next

Purdue's secondary will look to make significant improvements in the 2026 season under Clark's leadership as the new pass game coordinator.

The takeaway

Purdue's investment in Charles Clark signals their belief that he can help transform the Boilermakers' struggling secondary into a strength of the team. Clark's direct coaching style, strong mentorship abilities, and success in recruiting have earned him a promotion and a sizable pay raise, with head coach Barry Odom seeing him as a future head coaching candidate.