Purdue Moves Ahead to Finalize Hiring of Hazell as Football Coach

purdue-logoPurdue University trustees on Saturday (Dec. 15) voted to move forward with the hiring of Darrell Hazell as the Boilermakers' football coach.

The board's action ratifies Hazell's hiring within terms outlined in a summary of provisions that provide the basis of a six-year contract. The terms also establish bonuses for the team's academic performance and average annual home football game attendance as well as team athletic performance.

Hazell's fixed annual compensation in 2013 is $2 million that includes a base university salary of $250,000 and a $1.75 million supplemental stipend as compensation for radio, television, and other development and marketing appearances, $300,000 of which could be deferred if a suitable agreement within IRS rules can be executed. Bonus compensation could total up to $1 million more if Hazell meets all the milestones outlined in the term summary.

The term summary also includes a compensation pool of $2.1 million for Hazell to hire assistant coaches as well as a $725,000 interest-free loan to cover the cost of his buy-out at Kent State, where he was head coach for the last two seasons. The loan will be forgiven in installments over time as Hazell meets the conditions of his Purdue contract.

Hazell, 48, was announced Dec. 5 as the 35th football coach in Purdue history.

While at Kent State he compiled a 16-9 record. In 2012 Kent State finished 11-2, won its first-ever Mid-American Conference East Division Championship and advanced to a bowl game for the first time in 40 years. Hazell's success led to him being named the 2012 MAC Coach of the Year.

He also encouraged his student-athletes to excel in the classroom; in the 2012 spring semester, a program-record 50 players had GPAs above 3.0.

A 27-year veteran of the college coaching ranks, Hazell previously spent seven seasons at Ohio State, where he served as assistant head coach and wide receivers coach. He also held coaching positions at Rutgers, West Virginia, the U.S. Military Academy, Western Michigan, Pennsylvania, Eastern Illinois and Oberlin.