Ole Miss hires Keynodo Hudson as Cornerbacks coach
OXFORD, Miss. — The pieces are falling into place for the Rebels as head coach Lane Kiffin has hired former Western Kentucky cornerbacks coach Keynodo Hudson for the same role with the Rebels.
“Coach Hudson has tremendous experience coaching the secondary and is another strong addition to our defensive staff,” Kiffin said.
“We look forward to reuniting with Coach Hudson and him developing our cornerbacks and making an impact in recruiting, which he has done throughout his career.“
Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin on Hudson
Hudson will replace Sam Carter who was hired as Purdue’s corners coach.
Hudson’s coaching career
2004-08: University of Charleston (Secondary)
2009-11: Mainland HS (Defensive Coordinator)
2012-16: USC (Defensive Administrative Assistant)
2017-18: Florida Atlantic (Cornerbacks)
2019-20: Illinois (Defensive Backs)
2021-present: WKU (Cornerbacks)
No stranger to working alongside Coach Kiffin, Hudson previously worked under Coach Kiffin at both USC in 2012 and 2013 as a defensive assistant, and also at Florida Atlantic as the cornerbacks coach in 2017 and 2018.
In 2019, Hudson headed to Champaign to help build the Illinois defense before ultimately finding his way in 2021 to join the Hilltoppers coaching staff.
The path to Oxford
Hudson mentored a defensive backfield that helped WKU rank No. 3 in FBS in 2022 with 19 total interceptions. The Hilltoppers’ ball-hawking defense led the entire country with 32 total takeaways last year. In his first season at WKU, Hudson helped lead a defensive back unit that led Conference USA in interceptions with 23 for the season. The WKU DBs also returned two interceptions for touchdowns. Additionally, Beanie Bishop was selected to the All-Conference USA first team.
Prior to arriving in Bowling Green, Hudson spent two seasons on head coach Lovie Smith’s Illinois staff. During the 2020 season, the Fighting Illini tied for sixth in the Big Ten with seven interceptions in eight games. In 2019, he helped lead them to a six-win season and the team’s first bowl berth in five years.
That same season, the Illini notched one of the biggest upsets in the Big 10 when they defeated No. 6 Wisconsin, 24-23, in a game where Illinois was a 30-point underdog.
During his first season as a corners coach at FAU in 2017, Hudson helped the Owls finish the season second in the nation in interceptions with a program record of 20. FAU finished the year with a 10-win season, including a victory in the C-USA championship against North Texas and against Akron in the Boca Raton Bowl.
Hudson’s longest tenure prior to FAU was at USC where he spent six seasons as a defensive administrative assistant. During his time there, he played an intricate role in helping build recruiting at USC, scouting top talent and building relationships with prospects that eventually earned the Trojans a top 10 recruiting class.
Hudson’s hire is a solid one by the Rebels and opens up much opportunity to reshape the 2023 defense as well as bring on another elite recruiter to help build for the future.
Lee Ann Herring-Olvedo
Lee Ann is the Director of Recruiting for The Rebel Walk. She is a veteran SEC sports journalist and NFL content writer. She is also the Sr. Editor for MESPORTS digital. Herring-Olvedo is a Brown University graduate who loves good cigars, good games, and a smooth glass of bourbon — not necessarily in that order.
