When Purdue fired offensive coordinator Graham Harrell following the team’s third straight loss of the season it wasn’t much of a surprise, given the Boilermakers’ struggles on offense. Purdue scored 49 points in its opener against Indiana State, but just 38 points against three FBS teams since.
Whether or not the decision changes anything for the Boilermakers this season, or if Harrell was truly the problem, could be debated for a while. The primary question I asked myself was, “I wonder who’s next?”
The Harrell news is a reminder that in-season coaching changes are happening earlier and earlier. One could argue that the decision to fire Harrell was a move that may have been throwing a bone to an angry Purdue fanbase that’s not pleased with the 5-11 mark under Ryan Walters, who himself is beginning to feel heat on his seat.
But Walters is hardly alone.
Looking around the Big Ten, plenty of coaches could find themselves in trouble should their fortunes not change. Let’s look at them, and we’ll start with Walters. To be clear, this is simply me looking at each situation and how things typically play out. After all, the overwhelming majority of coaches are hired to be fired. The Nick Sabans of the world are outliers.
Ryan Walters, Purdue
Year 2: 5-11, 3-7 in Big Ten
The Walters hire wasn’t overly popular with the Purdue fan base, which meant it was a bit more critical for the new regime to get off to a quick start, regardless of whether it was a reasonable expectation or not. It hasn’t happened. Purdue followed up an 8-5 season in 2022 with a 4-8 mark in Walters’ first season, and the team’s three conference wins came against Illinois, Minnesota and Indiana — three teams that went a combined 7-20 in the Big Ten. Of Purdue’s eight…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/b1g-time-after-purdues-shake-up-of-its-coaching-staff-who-could-be-next-on-the-chopping-block/
Author : Tom Fornelli
Publish date : 2024-10-01 18:02:09
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