Feature image from SI.com

Who Is He?

Currently the Head Coach at NC State. Dave Doeren was a candidate at Purdue back when Darrell Hazell was hired. Doeren and Hazell had squared off in the MAC Championship Game right before both headed off to their new power 5 jobs. Doeren wen to NC State and is still there.  Doeren had gone 23-4 (15-1) in two years at Northern Illinois, which is how he became a hot commodity. At NC State, he’s been very solid. He’s had the Wolfpack in the top 25 consistently, climbing as high as #10 this season. He’s had really only one eyebrow-raising season (4-8 in 2019) after his 3-9 first year. Otherwise, it’s been a steady diet of seven to nine victories a year.

Why would he be successful at Purdue?

Because he wins 7-9 games per year at a school that’s not the toast of its conference. Doeren can recruit the right guys for his system and while he never seems spectacular, at the end of the year he’s frequently leading a ranked team with a lot of wins.

Why could he flop at Purdue?

Doeren seems to have a thin skin and an adversarial relationship with anyone who criticizes him. I don’t think Purdue is a tough media market by any stretch, but I could see a poor season spiraling a bit based on his personality.

Would he come to Purdue?

Maybe. He didn’t last time, but he makes “only” $3.25M at NC State, something Purdue could easily exceed by a significant amount. Purdue is also a Big Ten job for anyone who thinks the ACC could look very different if Clemson and UNC decide to bolt.