After just over a year in West Lafayette, Purdue head coach Ryan Walters has relieved offensive coordinator Graham Harrell of his duties, the program announced Sunday night. Walters had the following statement regarding the change, via a press release by the program.
“Decisions like this are never easy,” said Walters. “After evaluating our start to the season, I felt that it was best for our team to make a change now. We are appreciative of Graham’s contributions to our program and wish him the best going forward.”
Harrell was in his second season orchestrating the offense and coaching the quarterbacks in West Lafayette, which was filled with struggles through four games, and ultimately leading to his dismissal on the heels of Purdue's 28-10 defeat at the hands of Nebraska on Saturday.
Purdue is currently 106th in the nation in scoring offense this season, averaging 21.8 points per game, while also being 110th in total offense through four games. The offensive woes for the Boilermakers have played a large part in Purdue's 1-3 start to the season and the program has now moved on from Harrell to help kickstart a revitalization of the unit.
Harrell's dismissal now put the Boilermakers precarious situation moving forward, as nobody currently on staff has called plays at the collegiate level. The play caller for the rest of the season remains to be seen, but Ryan Walters should offer more clarity tomorrow afternoon at his weekly press conference.