Obviously this is about football.
It’s time to do the weekly roundtable and we are again focused on football. There are only two games left in the football season and Purdue won’t be favored in either of them. So I ask the staff a pretty simple question, “We have basically all the data on the football team for this year, we know it’s not good. Pretend you’re the AD, what do you do moving forward?”
Ledman:
I want Walters out of here. I’ve fully bought into the fact that there will be no improvement even if Walters is forced to fire every assistant and bring in the A-Team of old grizzled veterans. That’s a temporary bandaid and if you’ve gotta do that, you might as well just rip the bandaid off quickly. Yes, I know that’s not how bandaids work.
My only issue is that Mike Bobinski is rumored to be retiring soon. Yes, his contract runs through June 2028, but the man is also 67 years old. There are talks of him possibly completing one more year and then retiring. No one knows if that information is true, but if that’s the case it would make sense why he wants to keep Walters around. He wouldn’t want to burden the next AD with his coach hire right away. Every AD wants to hire the football coach. It’s sort of their biggest job.
So if that’s the case I understand it. However, if I’m Bobinski and I care about Purdue, which hopefully I do, I’ve already announced my retirement internally and the search for a new AD is already well underway. If however I have no intention of retiring until 2028 as per my contract I’m forcing him to fire all of his assistants and bringing in the A-Team. Let’s hope it works.
Kyle:
I find the money and I pony up the cash to admit that this hire was a mistake. Why drag this out another year? Who is coming to coach here with a re-tooled staff on what we can assume would be a lame-duck head coach?
One of the hardest things for a Division 1 athletic director to do is admit they were dead wrong on a hire, Bobinski believed this was a different hire that would change Purdue, a young staff to bring excitement, he couldn’t have been more wrong. If the Boilers were competitive against these top teams, I could maybe see bringing him back for year three, but the team has gotten WORSE throughout the season, and I don’t think that can even be questioned. So, I would find the money and fire the entire staff and bring in a new staff of adults.
Purdue could arguably be one of most attractive jobs this cycle, as it appears that not many power 4 coaches are on the move, there is a real chance for Purdue to get a really good coach, but they need to make the move.
Drew:
We’ve got the data on the team, but not the overall coaching market. Is Purdue a team a top level coach is willing to take on after Walters got the hook after 2 years?
Probably, but it’s going to come at premium and a buy out that locks that coach into an inescapable contract.
If I can’t land a specific coach that I covet (I would already already know who will and won’t consider the job through back channels), holding onto Walters for another year, throwing a bunch of resources at the assistants, and hoping against hope that he turns Purdue into a non-dumpster fire next season would be tempting.
It would also be met with much wailing and gnashing of teeth from the fan base.
To sort of answer your question…if I know I can get my #1 guy and can afford him along with his preferred staff … Walters is gone.
If I can’t land one of my top tier coaches, I bring in a new, experienced staff to work with Walters. Maybe a couple former head coaches ready to be called into action if things don’t significantly turn around next season.
Ryan:
I wrangle up as much money to be able to pay for a new head coach, which apparently will be following next season. Next, I convince ticket holders that something changed and put as many butts in seats next year as possible. It will need to be a game of convincing and I’m glad I’m not actually in that position right now.
Jed:
If I was the AD, I would have already announced that Walters would not be coming back and have placed one of the assistants in charge for the remainder of the season. I know hindsight is always 20/20, but having an assistant coach in charge couldn’t have been any worse than what we have seen over the last several weeks. Since this question is asking what do I do moving forward, I’ll start from today and work forward.
It is obvious that a change is needed within the football program. To go from a B1G title appearance to likely a 1-11 season in two years is unacceptable. I get the argument that it is a difficult schedule but when you are constantly getting embarrassed, even when your team has grown healthier as the year has gone on, it’s a coaching issue. The unfortunate thing is that if he is retained, it will likely mean with an entirely new staff transfers and coaches of consequence will stay far away. Kicking the can another year is just making the job in two years more difficult.
We are already 10 games into the season so it makes no sense to fire Walters now so you let he and his staff finish the season. That being said, no matter the outcome of the final two games he has got to go. The timing of that will largely depend on how bad Indiana beats Purdue in that final game. If it is a blowout, I don’t allow Walters the opportunity to meet with the media and I take the time to announce that he will not be retained as the head coach next season and announce that a search has already started.
Purdue has got to jump on the unique situation they are being presented as it appears not many big jobs are going to open this year given the uncertainty of revenue sharing and costs moving forward next season. Purdue is in a much better place than most due to their financial responsibility and maintaining the minimum varsity sports the NCAA requires (some will have to cut programs to ensure they are financially viable). Purdue may end up being the only power conference job opening this season as it doesn’t appear others are ready to jump from their head coaches. With that being said, what IU has done proves what is capable at Purdue and other mid-level programs if they get their resources, culture, and identity pointed in the right direction.
I would be contacting these individuals to see their interest and providing them with what will likely be a contract that needs to be $5.0 to $5.25 million per year to attract the attention it needs. Here is that list:
1: Tulane Head Coach Jon Sumrall
2: New Mexico Head Coach Bronco Mendenhall
3: Penn State Offensive Coordinator Andy Kotelnicki
4: Western Kentucky Head Coach Tyson Helton
5: Wake Forest Head Coach Dave Clawson
6: Boston College Head Coach Bill O’Brien