B1G 2021 // Coaching Turnovers

Things have not been great at Purdue the past couple of seasons, especially on the defensive side of the ball. And when you run a Power 5 football program that is trying to compete with the bluebloods like Nebraska, that means it’s time to get some new coaches.

So Purdue has three new defensive coaches this season. If that seems like a lot, it is. Looking at the coaching roster there is only one person still around responsible for defensive coaching. And even that is a stretch as Marty Biagi is listed as Special Teams Coordinator / Defensive Assistant.

And three is not the final number! Brohm is still looking for a replacement for Anthony Poindexter, who was Co-Defensive Coordinator / Safeties Coach.

Let’s meet the new coaches (that we know about so far)!

Brad Lambert (Co-Defensive Coordinator / Linebackers)
Brad Lambert was most recently the Defensive Coordinator at Marshall for two seasons. Marshall had a really good defense during that time, so that is a point in his favor. Before that he was the Head Coach at Charlotte for eight years. When he started they had no program at all. After a couple of years in FCS, they moved up to Conference USA. The other 49ers didn’t win too many games while he was the coach, but it’s not easy to win with a brand new program.

As of now, Lambert is the only Defensive Coordinator, even though he is listed as Co-Coordinator. It remains to be seen if the new coach will also be a coordinator, or if Lambert will take the full title.

Lambert played defensive back at Kansas State in the previous millenium.

Ron English (Cornerbacks)
English previously coached safeties at Florida for past three seasons. Most people remember him as the Head Coach of Eastern Michigan, before they famously made their field gray and called the stadium “The Factory.” In his third year with the Eagles, they posted a 6-6 record and he was named MAC coach of the year.

English was a safety at Cal during his playing days.

Mark Hagen (Defensive Line)
Hagan has coached at Purdue before in his career. He was an defensive assistant with a variety of roles during the Tiller heydey from 2000 -2010. This past season he coached at Texas and was the Co-Coordinator at Indiana for four years before that.

Hagen played for the other Indiana B1G school during the first Bush administration.