Upcoming Gophers opponent, Purdue, fires coach Darrell Hazell

When the Gophers play Purdue in three weeks at TCF Bank Stadium, the Boilermakers will have a new coach, after firing Darrell Hazell on Sunday.

Hazell was viewed as a coach on the rise when Purdue hired him in December 2012 from Kent State, where he'd led the Golden Flashes to an 11-3 finish. He had worked as the wide receivers coach at Ohio State and was promoted to assistant head coach under Jim Tressel.

But Saturday's homecoming loss to Iowa dropped Purdue to 3-24 in Big Ten play under Hazell. Two weeks earlier, the Boilermakers suffered a 43-point loss to Maryland.

Purdue has a new athletics director, in Mike Bobinski, who came from Georgia Tech in August.

To replace Hazell, Purdue named wide receivers coach Gerad Parker as interim head coach. Parker was a wide receiver at Kentucky and coached at Marshall before joining Hazell's staff in 2013.

The Boilermakers are 3-3 this season, but as Mike Carmin noted in Sunday's Lafayette Journal & Courier:

The wins haven't been impressive, needing two missed field goals to squeak out victories over Nevada and Illinois.

They're the ones that keep coming at Ross-Ade Stadium. They're the ones that keep coming after wins. They're the ones that show the Boilermakers aren't competitive or prepared. Just two weeks ago, Maryland roasted Purdue 50-7.

Maddening doesn't begin to describe the inconsistency this program suffers from.

Saturday's 49-35 loss to Iowa wasn't close. Trust me. It was another lopsided defeat on the most important day of the fall for the football program – and for the university.

Alumni and donors are back on campus. The 1967 Rose Bowl champions were honored. You know Bob Griese and Leroy Keyes. Purdue Pete even celebrated his 60th birthday.

Hazell is now 0-4 on Homecoming, losing to Northern Illinois, Illinois and Iowa twice by a combined 176-83. It's not a good look.