Prior to Purdue, Hudson was the assistant head coach and linebackers coach at Florida State from 2010 to 2012. While in Tallahassee, Hudson helped improve FSU from 108th in total defense the year prior to his arrival to second among all Football Bowl Subdivision teams in 2012 (only BCS national champion Alabama had a higher rated defense). Christian Jones, a second team All-ACC linebacker in 2012, finished the season with a team-high 95 total tackles, including 48 solo stops and seven tackles for loss. From 2009 to 2011, Hudson charge Nigel Bradham became the first Seminole in 20 years to lead the team in tackles for three consecutive seasons. Bradham was selected in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills.
Hudson joined the Florida State staff after spending five seasons as the defensive coordinator at East Carolina.
He also has extensive ties to the Midwest, having served as the defensive coordinator at Minnesota (2000-04), as an assistant at Cincinnati (1997-2000) and a graduate assistant at his alma mater Notre Dame (1993).
Hudson has coached in the postseason in 13 of his 23 years as a collegiate coach (12 bowls, one NCAA Division III tournament), including FSU's 31-10 win over Northern Illinois in the 2013 Discover Orange Bowl on New Year's Day.
Hudson graduated from Notre Dame in 1990, where he played linebacker for the Fighting Irish and catcher on the baseball team. He added a master's degree from the University of Redlands in 2000.