How ex-Purdue offensive coordinator Graham Harrell went from hot coaching name to midseason firing

Graham Harrell was once college football’s next big thing. A record-shattering quarterback at Texas Tech that played in, and studied under, Mike Leach’s innovative Air Raid offense, Harrell went into coaching after a brief stint at the professional level and earned his first offensive coordinator gig at just 31 years old. 

But now, he’s been cast out as Purdue’s offensive coordinator four games into his second season with the program. He is the first Power Four coordinator to get the axe in 2024, with Purdue — which fell to 1-3 after a Week 5 loss to Nebraska — being his third school since 2021. 

It was an understandable decision from Purdue coach Ryan Walters, who is now 5-11 through his first 16 games in West Lafayette. The Boilermakers scored 49 points in their season opener against FCS Indiana State and have since put 38 total points on the board in three straight games against FBS opponents. Their 12.7 points per game over the last three weeks rank No. 122 nationally. 

Purdue failed to reach at least 100 yards rushing in two of its four games, and 18 drives ended in a three-and-out in its last three games. It ranks 15th in the Big Ten in both total offense (322 yards per game) and scoring offense (21.8 points per game). 

A lot of the inefficiency is due to a passing attack — and, again, Harrell is a Leach disciple — that averages a paltry 172.2 yards per game. Quarterback Hudson Card has thrown at least one pick six in each of Purdue’s last three games. 

The numbers weren’t any better in 2023, either. The Boilermakers scored at least 20 points just three times against Big Ten opponents, and their 211.2 yards passing per game was the program’s lowest mark since 2014. 

Walters had plenty of evidence to make the change, but it…

Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/how-ex-purdue-offensive-coordinator-graham-harrell-went-from-hot-coaching-name-to-midseason-firing/

Author : Will Backus

Publish date : 2024-09-30 17:50:00

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.