Purdue adds Josh Henson to coaching staff in another transfer season blow to USC
Purdue added Josh Henson, an impressive offensive mind, to its staff as USC's off-season to forget continues. For the Trojans, suffering through a 6-6 2024 season has been nothing compared to the off-season exodus from the program. From recruits to current players to coaches, USC has done plenty of bidding adieu in the offseason.
Meanwhile, Purdue finished a 1-11 season, ditched coach Ryan Walters and hired former Missouri and UNLV coach Barry Odom to take over their program. Odom's background is defense, which made it logical that he'd grab an up and coming offensive mind to help balance Purdue.
More about Purdue's new offensive coordinator, Josh Henson
Henson grew up in Oklahoma and was an offensive lineman at Oklahoma State before his coaching career began. After a season of coaching high school football, Henson returned to Oklahoma State, where he coached tight ends. He held the same position at LSU for four seasons, including the 2007 BCS title season.
Henson then coached at Missouri with Odom, serving as offensive line coach and co-offensive coordinator from 2009 to 2015. When Odom became head coach at Missouri in 2016, Henson moved back to Oklahoma State. He coached offensive line there for three years and then held the same position at Texas A&M for three seasons.
Henson became the offensive line coach and offensive coordinator under Lincoln Riley at USC from 2022 to 2024. Riley's Trojans have slid from 11-3 to 8-5 to 6-6 in his three seasons there.
USC's offseason woes
After the 6-6 season, at least 19 USC players have now entered the transfer portal to seek a new destination. Of the four five-star recruits signed by Lincoln Riley in 2022 and 2023, none of those players are now on the USC roster.
Additionally, 14 players decommitted in the 2025 recruiting class. Big-play receiver Jerome Myles might be the biggest name, but all of those losses will hurt. With USC struggling to keep players, simultaneously strugging to recruit new players is certainly not a good sign.
The coaching staff has also been fair game. In addition to Henson, assistant coach Matt Entz, who was USC's linebacker coach, has left the Trojans to become the head coach at Fresno State.
Purdue's new staff
As many top teams are still playing, Odom's staff is nowhere near completion, but he's adding impressive assistants. Odom decided to retain Purdue running backs coach Lamar Conrad. He brought in Arkansas's Kelvin Green to coach the defensive line.
Odom figures to assemble a well-qualified and energetic staff to help him turn around the Boilermakers. Henson was certianly a step in that direction.
What do you think of Henson's new job and USC's trajectory? Weigh in on both topics below in our comments section!