GoldandBlack.com's Wednesday Night LIVE Purdue football coaching search chat

Purdue football coaching search chat with GoldandBlack.com’s Tom Dienhart, Brian Neubert and host Alan Karpick as AD Mike Bobinski continues his search for a new coach. The GoldandBlack.com trio will take your questions too.

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Purdue football coaching Day 3 report

Purdue enters its third day in search of a replacement for Ryan Walters, who was fired on Sunday, Dec. 1. Here are some thoughts and buzz surrounding the program during the search …

• Support staff–equipment, academics, nutrition, recruiting, scouting, Ops, video–met with AD Mike Bobinski on Monday for about 20 minutes. Bobinski then met with everyone in coaching who was not fired and was not a position coach … GAs, analysts.

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In the meeting, Bobinski said, in an ideal world, he would like to announce a coach no later than Monday, when the transfer portal opens. It could be sooner, but hopefully not later than Monday.

• From the sound of things, Bobinski is firmly leading this search with few other people involved. He says no one but him knows who the true candidates are. He says people will guess–they might be right on some of them–but they are just guesses. He isn’t telling anyone who he is vetting.

• In the meeting with staffers, Bobinski made it a point to say he won’t tell the new coach who to hire on the staff or who to keep from the previous regime–if anyone. Everyone is supposed to get a chance to talk to the new coach about staying, but Bobinski can’t guarantee anything.

• An agent told me Purdue is using the search firm TurnkeyZRG. Chad Chatlos was Purdue’s point man from Turnkey on the last search that netted Ryan Walters.

• No matter what you heard Monday at the Bobinski presser, the 10 full-time assistants have been fired along with GM Noah Joseph. Anyone with a contract has had it cancelled with essentially 90 days of pay. Many coaches have already cleared out their offices, I am told. A couple cleaned out their offices on Sunday; some did Monday. Walters is the only coach who has not cleaned out his office.

• So, who is running Purdue football at the moment? Ops man Pete Roley and strength boss man Kiero Small appear to be holding down the fort.

• If there is one Purdue assistant who seems most poised to remain it would be RB coach Lamar Conard, an alum who has done good work with his “room” and is well-liked/respected by his players.

• Is Purdue’s next coach working this weekend? Perhaps. Check out the names …

– Led by Chuck Martin, Miami (Ohio) plays Ohio for the MAC title. Martin is the all-time winningest coach at Miami (Ohio) and a legend at D2 Grand Valley State who cut his teeth under Brian Kelly. Some feel Martin may be the favorite for Purdue.

– Tyson Helton will lead WKU vs. Jacksonville State for the C-USA crown.

– Jeff Monken leads Army vs. Tulane.

– Tim Albin will lead Ohio vs. Miami in MAC title.

– Charles Huff has Marshall vs. Louisiana in the Sun Belt title game.

– Barry Odom has UNLV playing Boise State for the Mountain West title. We mentioned Odom’s connections to WVU AD Wren Baker yesterday–they worked at Missouri together–so Odom could be a favorite to be Mountaineers coach. Also perhaps working against Purdue: Would Walters tell Odom not to go to Purdue? The two are close, having worked together at Missouri and Memphis.

• How about Kentucky’s Mark Stoops? Some feel his camp has reached out to Purdue. The youngest Stoops brother (57) is looking for an escape hatch from Lexington. He wants to re-set his clock after 12 seasons at UK. It seems he and the fan base are ready for a mutual divorce. It almost happened last year, but Stoops’ move to Texas A&M was torpedoed by Aggie boosters. He is a tough, gritty Youngstown, Ohio, guy with a defensive background who did very well at a notoriously tough place to win: UK.

• I keep circling back to WKU’s Helton. The last time the Purdue job was open, he supposedly was the runner-up for the position. Word is, Bobinski pushed for him; Tiffini Grimes for Walters. Helton went on to excel the last two years, as the Hilltoppers are playing for a league title this weekend. Lips are tight in Bowling Green, so maybe something is going on.

• Marshall’s Huff is thought to be headed to Southern Miss. He supposedly reached out to ex-Purdue OL coach Marcus Johnson about being on his staff in Hattiesburg. It is thought Huff would like to be involved at Purdue, but it’s doubtful he gets traction.

• Don’t underestimate the value of this in the next coach: Who can bring players? That is critical. Bobinski may be chasing the Curt Cignetti blueprint, as he bolstered his 2024 IU roster with myriad players who followed him from James Madison.

MORE: Ryan Walters Q&A | Day Two of Purdue search | Day One of Purdue search | GoldandBlack.com Analysis: The end for Ryan Walters at Purdue and what may lie ahead | It’s over: Purdue pulls plug on Ryan Walters era | Hot board 1.0 | Transfer portal tracker | Bobinski press conference transcript