Some info on Purdue's coaching search, best we can sort it out.
Be advised: These are just some random notes and in no way a complete portrayal of everything going on. We do think there are a lot of coaches in play for Purdue.
• Skip Holtz is very involved, according to multiple sources. Purdue has been in contact if not full-fledged interviewed him already.
The 52-year-old Louisiana Tech coach goes way back with Boilermaker athletic director Mike Bobinski to their Notre Dame days, so there would be a sort of natural comfort and trust there, not to mention the fact that Holtz is about to become a sought-after commodity.
This weekend's 63-35 win over Texas-San Antonio was Tech's seventh straight win. They're 8-3 this season, with a one-point loss at Arkansas and a loss at high-major Texas Tech.
During the seven-game winning streak, Holtz's team has scored no fewer than 44 points.
We do believe Purdue wants offensive punch with this hire.
With that in mind, Louisiana Tech is averaging 45.8 points per game this season and 540.7 yards.
Louisiana Tech is fourth nationally in scoring offense and fifth in passing right now at 357.3 yards
Holtz, who's also been the head coach at Connecticut, South Florida and East Carolina, is coming into the picture as a coach who'd make sense for Purdue.
• Purdue has spoken with Dallas Cowboys assistant head coach and special teams coach Rich Bisaccia, GoldandBlack.com has learned, and received a number of recommendations from former players on his behalf.
He's been in the NFL since 2002 - he was with the Bucs and Chargers prior to Dallas - but previously was a successful college coach and recruiter at Mississippi, Clemson and South Carolina.
From what we've gathered about him, he's a big personality and a really high-energy coach, that long-time NFL coach who's been looking to break through with a head coaching job in college (or the NFL) for a while now.
• As we have told you before, Drew Brees has put in a word for his former position coach at Purdue, Greg Olson, and we think that might be enough to get Olson in the conversation, even though he was fired by the Jacksonville Jaguars fired him midseason.
Olson is one of the candidates we know the most about, and while the name might not knock peoples' socks off, he would bring Purdue the offensive rep it might be looking for, a reconnection to when things were really good at Purdue and do a good job in recruiting. He has the personality for it and would understand its importance.
Brees will be back on campus this weekend for the Wisconsin game and one would think he will get some considerable face time with Bobinski, Mitch Daniels, Mike Berghoff, all Purdue's key decision-makers, but to be clear: This is Bobinski's hire to make.
• Boilermaker legend Rod Woodson has expressed in the position.
He does have some modest coaching experience - he's the assistant defensive backs coach for the Oakland Raiders, who are actually good now, by the way - but also has put word out about what he feels like he could do in recruiting, with his name brand, long-standing ties to Purdue and status as an NFL Hall-of-Famer and Super Bowl winner.
Woodson is 51. He'd carry name recognition throughout Indiana, but especially in Fort Wayne, and obviously in Pennsylvania, where he starred for so long with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
He was just on campus this weekend, so he might be fresh in the mind of Purdue's decision-makers. No idea how open Purdue would be to making such a hire, though.
• There are Les Miles rumors going around. We cannot confirm them in any way, shape or form and quite honestly, could have predicted them as soon as Darrell Hazell was fired.
Be advised: These are just some random notes and in no way a complete portrayal of everything going on. We do think there are a lot of coaches in play for Purdue.
• Skip Holtz is very involved, according to multiple sources. Purdue has been in contact if not full-fledged interviewed him already.
The 52-year-old Louisiana Tech coach goes way back with Boilermaker athletic director Mike Bobinski to their Notre Dame days, so there would be a sort of natural comfort and trust there, not to mention the fact that Holtz is about to become a sought-after commodity.
This weekend's 63-35 win over Texas-San Antonio was Tech's seventh straight win. They're 8-3 this season, with a one-point loss at Arkansas and a loss at high-major Texas Tech.
During the seven-game winning streak, Holtz's team has scored no fewer than 44 points.
We do believe Purdue wants offensive punch with this hire.
With that in mind, Louisiana Tech is averaging 45.8 points per game this season and 540.7 yards.
Louisiana Tech is fourth nationally in scoring offense and fifth in passing right now at 357.3 yards
Holtz, who's also been the head coach at Connecticut, South Florida and East Carolina, is coming into the picture as a coach who'd make sense for Purdue.
• Purdue has spoken with Dallas Cowboys assistant head coach and special teams coach Rich Bisaccia, GoldandBlack.com has learned, and received a number of recommendations from former players on his behalf.
He's been in the NFL since 2002 - he was with the Bucs and Chargers prior to Dallas - but previously was a successful college coach and recruiter at Mississippi, Clemson and South Carolina.
From what we've gathered about him, he's a big personality and a really high-energy coach, that long-time NFL coach who's been looking to break through with a head coaching job in college (or the NFL) for a while now.
• As we have told you before, Drew Brees has put in a word for his former position coach at Purdue, Greg Olson, and we think that might be enough to get Olson in the conversation, even though he was fired by the Jacksonville Jaguars fired him midseason.
Olson is one of the candidates we know the most about, and while the name might not knock peoples' socks off, he would bring Purdue the offensive rep it might be looking for, a reconnection to when things were really good at Purdue and do a good job in recruiting. He has the personality for it and would understand its importance.
Brees will be back on campus this weekend for the Wisconsin game and one would think he will get some considerable face time with Bobinski, Mitch Daniels, Mike Berghoff, all Purdue's key decision-makers, but to be clear: This is Bobinski's hire to make.
• Boilermaker legend Rod Woodson has expressed in the position.
He does have some modest coaching experience - he's the assistant defensive backs coach for the Oakland Raiders, who are actually good now, by the way - but also has put word out about what he feels like he could do in recruiting, with his name brand, long-standing ties to Purdue and status as an NFL Hall-of-Famer and Super Bowl winner.
Woodson is 51. He'd carry name recognition throughout Indiana, but especially in Fort Wayne, and obviously in Pennsylvania, where he starred for so long with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
He was just on campus this weekend, so he might be fresh in the mind of Purdue's decision-makers. No idea how open Purdue would be to making such a hire, though.
• There are Les Miles rumors going around. We cannot confirm them in any way, shape or form and quite honestly, could have predicted them as soon as Darrell Hazell was fired.
