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VOLUME 26, ISSUE 4 73 Hazell said. "(Pelini and Solich) said he's as organized and as detailed of a guy that they've ever had. It was confirmed." Maybe not surprising, considering Els made sure to spend the year away from college coaching intentionally becoming a better coach — and not by being in the high school realm. All that time Els had spent recruiting while coaching in college was able to be directed differently while at Southwest. He used the time to craft a package and a plan. He pored over Nebraska film from his final three seasons there, watching ev- ery single snap, and even went back and watched some Ohio film. He wanted to know what worked and what didn't, some- thing that maybe doesn't get as much at- tention as it should in the daily grind of a hectic season. He hit the road often, too. Els estimates he visited nearly 17 programs, from NAIA to NFL, to evaluate what they were doing defensively, taking a look at every differ- ent position group — because he honestly wasn't quite sure what his next role would be —and even researched their special teams and recruiting philosophy. Why'd he do it? Easy answer, he said. "Because you never quit learning," he said. "This is Year 29 (in coaching) com- ing up. I'm still learning. We all are. That's true anywhere in life. … You never know everything. That's what we keep trying to get across to our kids — you're never there. (Former Nebraska linebacker) Will Compton, one of the smartest guys ever, I guarantee you that guy studies, wants to learn so much. That's what I wanted to do this year and was able to do it." But it wasn't just the knowledge of Xs and Os that impressed Hazell in the inter- view. Even before Els wowed Hazell with the specifics of how to make sure defen- sive linemen would never be in the wrong Tim Lester An accomplished quarterback in his own right, Lester's knowl- edge of the position and his ability to connect with quarter- backs — Darrell Hazell called him the "quarterback whisperer" — could be a boon for Purdue's young room. Lester previously coached at Syracuse where he also had a stint as coordinator. "Tim is one of the best offensive minds I've been around," former Syracuse head coach Scott Shafer said. Randy Melvin Melvin brings his intensity back to Purdue for a second stint (97- 99). He recently was the D-line coach at Miami. It's his third time on a staff with Darrell Hazell, whom he also coached with at Eastern Illinois (1998) and Rut- gers (2002). "He was a disciplinarian and had the ability to challenge every single one of us as players," former Purdue player Akin Ayodele said. "He has always been one of my favorite coaches." Darrell Funk Funk, who has coached for nearly 30 years, spent last season at Ak- ron. Prior to that, he was Michigan's offensive line coach from 2011-14 where he helped coach Big Ten Of- fensive Linemen of the Year honor- ees David Molk and Taylor Lewan, currently in the NFL. "Coach Funk is one of the best coaches I've had," Lewan told MLive.com in 2013. DeAndre Smith Smith has coached all-confer- ence running backs at nearly every stop, including having four consecutive years of all- league backs while at Northern Illinois from 2001-04. He comes to Purdue from Syracuse, where he spent three seasons, working alongside Lester. "He has a special ability to develop the best rushers in the country," Hazell said. — Stacy Clardie Photo credits: Tom Campbell (Shoop, Carter, Bridge, Williams); Syracuse Athletics (Lester, Smith); Miami Athletics (Melvin); Akron Athletics (Funk)