Purdue Hires Memphis Assistant as Defensive Backs Coach

Purdue has hired Memphis assistant Charles Clark as the new defensive backs coach. He's been on the college sidelines since 2008.
Close up view of a Purdue Boilermakers helmet
Close up view of a Purdue Boilermakers helmet / Mike Carter-Imagn Images

Purdue has made another key hire as it continues to assemble its coaching staff for the 2025 college football season. Friday, the Boilermakers announced that Memphis assistant Charles Clark will be the new defensive backs coach in West Lafayette.

Clark just completed his fifth season at Memphis, working with the defensive backs from 2020-23 before shifting to safeties in 2024. He was also the assistant head coach in 2022 and 2023 and was the deputy head coach in 2024.

Clark has been on the college sidelines as a coach since 2008. He began at Duke as a quality control intern before earning a spot as a graduate assistant in 2009. Since then, Clark has had stops with San Jose State (2010-12), Colorado (2013-16), Oregon (2017), Ole Miss (2019) and Memphis (2020-24).

Before he got into coaching, Clark was a defensive back at Ole Miss from 2003-06. He ended his career with the Rebels with 198 tackles, 12 pass break-ups, five fumble recoveries and three interceptions.

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