A look back in history and it shows you things haven't changed that much in Purdue football.
When it comes to personnel decisions dating back to 1972, the trend has been familiar to what we are seeing today.
There have been coaches who have resigned before being let go (Leon Burtnett and Fred Akers to name two) that complained at least a little about lack of administrative support. Athletic director George King was a target of fan angst during both of those situations.
But through it all, Boilermaker football has typically hired a coach in a week to 10 days after the season, or after the previous coach was sent packing. Here's a thumbnail look at the past searches:
1972: Bob DeMoss to Alex Agase
Things were a lot different 40 years ago, as evidenced by the fact that Bob DeMoss took one week after the season to decide he was going to resign as head coach. The Boilermakers pummeled Indiana 42-7 on Nov. 25, but it wasn't until Dec. 3 that DeMo announced his resignation. There were few if and early recruiting commitments in those days, with much of the class typically assembled between mid-December and National Signing Day.
Purdue had underachieved in '72, finishing 6-5, despite having three first round NFL Draft picks (Otis Armstrong, Darryl Stingley and Dave Butz) for the only time in school history. Still, it was DeMoss who said the toll of being a big-time college coach was too much for his family to bear, and he called it quits. DeMoss took a job as an assistant athletic director and Alex Agase moved to West Lafayette from Evanston in a decision announced on Dec. 15.
1976: Alex Agase to Jim Young
After a disappointing four years where Ross-Ade Stadium attendance dwindled, Agase (a players' coach) was let go. Sound familiar? Just five days after a loss to Indiana, President Arthur Hansen led the charge to relieve Agase, doing so on Nov. 27, 1976 following four losing seasons, which culminated in a loss to Indiana.
Like Coach Danny Hope, Agase had a couple of great wins. Agase's were even more shocking defeating No. 2 Notre Dame in South Bend in 1974 and No. 1 Michigan in Ross-Ade Stadium in '76. But that couldn't save him.
Eight days later on Dec. 5, former Arizona coach Jim Young was announced to the Purdue community. Tennessee's Bill Battle was reportedly a finalist though to this day you hear varying stories as to whether Young or Battle was the first choice. No matter, Young took the Purdue deal for a whopping $35,000 per year for five years. His total package probably was closer to $75,000, which is about $305,000 in today's dollars.
Need an indication that coaches salaries have escalated in the past 35 years? Young's financial package from Purdue is about 15 percent as much as the Boilermakers next coach in 2012 will likely receive.
1981: Jim Young to Leon Burtnett
This one is easier as it was an internal hire by King. Young, who had informed his boss before the 1981 season that it would be his last as head coach, made that decision public the Wednesday before the Bucket Game in Bloomington. The decision surprised the players and the Boilermakers lost to the Hoosiers in frigid and icy Memorial Stadium 20-17, despite having a post-season appearance on the line had Purdue prevailed.
Burtnett, the defensive coordinator and architect of the Junk Defense, was named five days later.
1986: Leon Burtnett to Fred Akers
This one got a little wild. Burtnett was forced to resign which he did on Nov. 6, 1986 two days before the Michigan game. The press conference was emotional as Burtnett and the players voiced their displeasure with the decision. One of those players, freshman quarterback Jeff George-the nation's No. 1 player from a year before that Burtnett had snagged from Indianapolis a year earlier, threated to transfer and ultimately did.
On Dec. 2, 10 days after the Bucket Game, Purdue was all-set to announce Ron Meyer as its new head coach. So much so, that President Steven Beering had even announced to an alumni group in Florida a few days earlier that it was going to happen. But in the 11th hour, the Indianapolis Colts offered Meyer its vacant head coaching job, and it left Purdue to re-tool its search. Eight days later, amidst a fair amount of dissension among the decision makers, King (who wanted former Maryland coach Bobby Ross) hired Fred Akers for the job. Akers was inked for a $200 annual package (about $450K in today's dollars).
1990: Fred Akers to Jim Colletto
Akers resigned under pressure Nov. 29, five days after the Bucket Game. This was not a surprising move, though defensive coordinator Phil Bennett, now the DC at Baylor, made the press conference interesting when he started peppering George King with angry questions during the tail end of the media event.
Jim Colletto, who had been a candidate in '86, was hired one week later in a move that surprised no one.
1996: Jim Colletto to Joe Tiller
Nearing the end of his sixth year, Colletto decided he had had enough. The worn-out coach announced his resignation on his radio show two days after losing at Wisconsin on Nov. 4. Five days later his team upset No. 9 Michigan in Ross-Ade which, as the story goes, caused Colletto to ask for his job back. Whether Colletto was serious, or thought Burke would give it real consideration, is subject to debate. But Burke continued his search and announced Tiller's hiring on Nov. 24 the day after a home loss to Indiana that Tiller watched from the Purdue press box.
2008: Joe Tiller to Danny Hope
News of a succession plan that Burke was working on became public on Dec. 29, 2007 when Paul Chryst's name was mentioned. Thirteen days later, on Jan. 11, 2008, Hope was announced as the coach-in-waiting.. This came after the interview process which reportedly included Chryst, UCLA assistant Jay Norvell, Hope and defensive coordinator Brock Spack.
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