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i n t r o d u c i n g d a r r e l l h a z e l l 'Right Man At The Right Time' Hazell Era begins at Purdue BY STACY CLARDIE SClardie@GoldandBlack.com two victories or fewer, including four winless seasons. urdue players weren't Their last winning feeling the love. season prior to HaEach home game's attenzell's arrival was a 6-5 dance seemed to dwindle over finish in 2001. the past two years — 40,000 They hadn't actual fans in the 62,5000 reached a bowl since seats on a good day — and the 1972 or been ranked Boilermakers noticed. since 1973. Ricardo Allen bluntly said But after a 5-7 he feels like "we're always finish last season, away. I don't feel like we get a Hazell's group prolot of support here." duced a school-reAthletic director Morgan Tom Campbell cord 11 victories and Burke saw it, tracked the de- Darrell Hazell knows one of the main challenges of his new job will be reviving the lagging Purdue fan will play in the Gocreasing figures and men- base. He says he's ready to bring a new energy. Daddy.com Bowl on tioned how the team had Jan. 6 in Mobile, Ala. lost one-third of its fan base over Danny "I think our fan base, based upon the That shocking season impressed response I've gotten and I've seen out Hope's four-year tenure. many. Burke needed to find someone to there, are starting to catch it." Combine that with his experience Though Hazell has been a head coach bring the excitement back to Ross-Ade under Jim Tressel at Ohio State, joining for only two years, what he did during Stadium. that short stint at Mid-American Confer- the staff as a receivers coach and being He thinks he has: Darrell Hazell. promoted to assistant head coach after In Hazell, Burke hired a 48-year-old ence member Kent State spoke volumes only one season, and Hazell was one of with a calming presence yet fierce inten- to Burke, his advisors and Purdue's ad- the hottest coaches in the country. sity who builds long-lasting relationships ministration. Former Colts general manager Bill The Golden Flashes were one of the with players by earning trust and giving Polian, who was one of Burke's "Big Three" worst programs in the FBS. In the last 30 respect. advisors in the search, called Hazell "the "There's something there," Burke said. years, they've endured 13 seasons with right man at the right time for Purdue." P But Hazell knows getting the job is only the first step. There is work to do. He's already set a priority list that includes getting to know the current personnel, staff and players included, assembling a group of coaches and reaching out to Purdue's 2013 commitments. Once those are done, reaching out to the fan base will be an emphasis. "If I need to get out on the campus and visit fraternity houses and the dorms, I'll do that to get the fans back in the stadium," Hazell said. "But I think there needs I've got service, yes I do ... Trent B Johnson, Agent 249 E State Street West Lafayette, IN 47906 Bus: 765-743-9595 trentismyagent.com P097275.2 And I am ready to prove it. Call me for your insurance needs and see how it feels to be on a #1 team. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.® CALL ME TODAY. State Farm, Home Office, Bloomington, IL GoldanDBlack express • volume 23, express 14 • 6