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VOLUME 25, ISSUE 6 19 Hazell wants full involvement in Year 3 BY STACY CLARDIE SClardie@GoldandBlack.com A fter a one-win season in Darrell Hazell's first year, the head coach's public veneer hardly cracked. After a three-win Year 2 that includ- ed Hazell's first Big Ten victory but also ended with six consecutive losses, he stayed outwardly optimistic. It wasn't easy, necessarily, but it was possible because Hazell could see progress, even if some struggled to identify it, those who pointed solely to the team's record. Hazell's vision is wider. But he still certainly would like to see a few more victories in Year 3, and he's encour- aged that can happen. Hazell talked why there's reason to hope, which parts of Purdue's offense and defense he likes, if he's worried about contract extensions and more in a 30-minute interview with Gold and Black in mid-June. Here's an excerpt: Gold and Black: Why do you think this team will be better in 2015? Hazell: "I think our communica- tion is better (180) degrees, coach to coach, player to player, all those other deals. The guys in the locker room right now are so committed to be successful at each of their own crafts and helping each other get better. There have been little to no distractions. These guys are very focused. There's a quiet confi- dence with these guys. They've worked extremely hard to make themselves better. This is a good time for us right now — I really believe that. So we'll see." Gold and Black: Why is there reason to hope? Hazell: "From my perspective, we've got good players in the locker room now. I believe that. If we can do the things soundly — and I've kind of limited the goals for each of the units for us to have some success, some simple goals — there's good enough players on defense to tackle the ball now and cover people now. Offensive- ly, there's good enough players to block people and protect the quarterback and to make the plays you're supposed to make. Those are the things you feel really comfortable and confident about." Gold and Black: I thought Austin Appleby said something interest- ing when he mentioned there ar- en't JV players anymore, meaning there are more older guys playing now after maybe getting thrown in there before they were ready phys- ically. Do you agree you have more mature guys physically now and guys who are ready because it's Year 3 in the system? Hazell: "I think both of those things. We've played a lot of young guys the first couple years, and they were undersized and you're playing against guys who are significantly older with much more experience. Now our guys are those guys who are older and have more experience and are bigger and a little bit stronger and more confident. You play a freshman and he's playing against a guy who's been on the field for three years? There's a huge confidence difference. When it happens, people are going to say, 'Man, how did that happen all of a sudden?' My comment will be, 'It's been happening.' That's kind of the growing process. Like I said, some people don't see it. But we see it." Gold and Black: That's where you need to get to be a successful program, right? It's playing a third- year junior as a first-time starter. Hazell: "Yeah, a lot of schools are. The conversation we were having a year or two years ago was, 'Who has to come in and start?' We don't have that conversation right now. That's when you know you're getting better in your personnel department." Gold and Black: You talked about finishing a lot in the spring. Why do you think that you can and will do that now? That seems to be the next logical step in this program's development. Hazell: "I think the mindset is so much better and sharper for seeing where our shortcomings were at the end of the season, the end of those games. You go back, I looked at all the film in January by myself in (my office) and just evaluated where we didn't fin- ish, and there were at least six contests where we were within 10 points. Our guys understand that. There are things you have to do — it's mind, it's physi- 'All Aboard'