Had Enough? You Can Do Something About It
Today, Morgan Burke spoke publicly with Gold and Black about why he's staying the course with Coach Hazell and what's coming next. If you want to read about it, or even watch it yourself, you can do so here. Burke seems very aware of what Purdue fans think of keeping Hazell for another season...and he vehemently disagrees with our assessment that things aren't going well enough. For a synopsis, check our Twitter feed or GBI's...tons of info there at a glance.
If you're frustrated after reading about today's presser, you can do a few things -- be upset in private, start a website and publicly stew, or you can try to reach out to the decision makers and let them know why you don't think this makes sense.
I've gathered the e-mail addresses of Morgan Burke, Mitch Daniels and the the trustees below. Before you write them a note, let me remind you of a few things. The only person that you will write to that's not a Purdue grad is Mr. Daniels. But all of them have skin in the game...and care about our alma mater. How much some of them care about the football team is up for discussion, it seems.
Do I agree with them, that things are good enough to stay the course? Absolutely not...I've made it pretty clear. The recent move of clearing out Hazell's coach staff simply isn't enough at this point...and we have no indicators that things are getting better in spite of Burke's assertion that the process is the most important thing to look at right now. Our football Boilers are as bad of a program as I've ever seen...I'm 40, went to Purdue and was brainwashed to be a Purdue fan by my nearly-70 year old Dad from an early age. He's never seen his Boilers this bad either.
It's one thing to be going through a transition, a rocky spell...it's quite another when failure is what the football program does best, and no one within the halls of the athletic department, who is in the position to directly affect things, has any idea of how to change it. Things are bad, we all know that. The record says it, the on-field results show it, recent recruiting efforts display it for the college football world to see as well...and now Purdue is running hard after JuCo talent (almost exclusively, at this point) in order to simply fill the class.
Darrell Hazell was hired to do a job which he hasn't done, plain and simple. I like the image of the guy and think he's been great in person...I've been clear about that. His job is to produce a football program that makes the university look good. They are good in the classroom (pass). They are good guys off the field (partial credit; some problems with the law). They compete on the field of play during each game (majority failure). They win (clear failure). They go to bowl games, compete for championships (abject failure).
A few years ago, Hazell said, "I’m looking for a team that’s going to be very tough and battle no matter what the situation is, and win those close games..."
Hazel's boss is Morgan Burke...Burke's boss is Mitch Daniels...Daniel's boss is the board of trustees. The trustees have the ultimate power of the budget and budgetary adjustments and changes.
Burke's overarching goal is the 25-85 plan:
He wants the athletic department to "consistently have teams ranked in the top 25, while graduating student-athletes at an 85 percent rate."
Part of the trustees mission statement declares their goal is to produce:
"...a nationally prominent athletic organization that is excellent in all respects."
I can't find many direct quotes by Daniels about Purdue athletics other than he's wants real student athletes, doesn't want any Purdue athlete cheating in any way, doesn't think athletes should be paid and doesn't believe 'winning is everything' but thinks it's important.
In their own words, Coach Hazell, Mr. Burke and the trustees are failing to steer the football program in the correct direction. As a fan and alum, I tend to agree with their assessments.
mjb@purdue.edu
president@purdue.edu
trustees@purdue.edu
