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After being turned down by Cincinnati Coach Butch Jones (who still hasn't decided on a job yet), Purdue's Athletic Director Morgan Burke found his man in the opposite corner of Ohio. Darrell Hazell, who led the Kent State Golden Flashes to an 11-2 record this year, will be the next Head Coach at Purdue. There is no word yet on contract terms; there will most likely be a press conference on Wednesday.
Here's a short Hazell career summary for those unfamiliar with the New Jersey native:
- Played football at Muskingum University, which counts Astronaut John Glenn among its alumni.
- Has been coaching since 1986. Hazell was an offensive position coach (mainly WR) at many schools, including Western Michigan, Rutgers and West Virginia.
- Coached from 2004-2010 at Ohio State. Was Assistant Head Coach and WR Coach from 2005-2010.
- Compiled a 16-9 record in two seasons at Kent State.
I am no expert on Darrell Hazell, but by most accounts this seems like a good hire for the Boilermakers. This certainly isn't the first time that a Big Ten school has taken a coach from the MAC. I am pretty confident that this hire will be a lot better than Tim Beckman, last year's B1G MAC Coach, but he set the bar outrageously low.
I'm not sure how Hazell will do, but I'm relieved that I won't be spending another day constantly checking twitter for updates. I am beyond happy that the Boilers have landed a seemingly good coach; I like following the crazy world of coaching changes, but it's more fun for me when Purdue isn't involved.
What do you guys think of the hire?