Purdue football promotes Malone to offensive coordinator

Mike Carmin | Journal & Courier

For the first time in 18 years, Terry Malone has the opportunity to spend extended time with his family and enjoy the holiday season without worrying about football practice or preparing for the next game.

That doesn’t mean he’ll completely put aside his new responsibilities.

“The mind will not stop churning,” said Malone, who was named Purdue’s offensive coordinator Tuesday by head coach Darrell Hazell.

Once Christmas is over, Malone begins the task of trying to build off the pieces already in place and establish an identity for an offense that has endured quarterback changes and numerous struggles the last three years.

Malone replaces John Shoop, who was fired one day after the loss to Indiana. Malone will continue to coach tight ends, a position he was hired for in February.

Will this be the same offense of the last three years?

“To tear everything apart and start over again would be a waste of really good work and time that we’ve put into it,” Malone said. “There are going to be a lot of the same principles to what we’ve done, but there certainly will be some additions we feel as though maybe give us a better opportunity to put the ball in our playmakers hands.”

Malone will emphasize becoming a fundamentally sound offense, anchored by an aggressive and tough offensive line, and protecting the football. Last season, the Boilermakers attempted to play a fast-paced style and Malone is looking to expand on that part.

“I like to see us play a really fast-paced game,” he said. “Maybe not always a hurry-up game, but in terms of when the ball gets snapped we know where we’re going and we get there fast.”

More importantly is Malone’s view of the quarterback position and helping that individual find answers in the simplest form. As of now, Purdue returns three scholarship quarterbacks – Austin Appleby, David Blough and Elijah Sindelar – but Appleby is likely to transfer.

“Part of our job is to make the quarterback position an easier position to play,” Malone said. “It’s not just a matter of saying, ‘Hey, our quarterback wasn’t good enough, that’s why we weren’t successful.’ Our job as coaches is to make it easy enough where their skills can shine.”

“He can react, use his athletic ability, he can use his arm and use his legs to get us out of trouble. When you have a guy that is playing on instinct and playing the game the way it should be played, you’re much better off.”

This is Malone’s third stint as an offensive coordinator.

He ran Michigan’s offense from 2001 through 2005 after being elevated from the offensive line position on Lloyd Carr’s staff. Malone also spent time as the offensive coordinator at Bowling Green. He was the tight ends coach with the New Orleans Saints for nine seasons before arriving at Purdue.

"He has a winning pedigree with a national title at Michigan and a Super Bowl title with the New Orleans Saints," Hazell said in a statement. "I look forward to sitting down with him once we get back from the holiday break and putting our offense together."

Malone said he didn’t lobby for the job, other than having a discussion with Hazell.

“I’ve always felt like my résumé is my work and I didn’t feel like I had to pursue the job,” he said. “I had a discussion with Darrell early in the process and as it played out he made the decision to give me the opportunity.”

After Malone returns from the holiday break, he’ll begin the process of reviewing every play from the 2015 season. He’ll examine what worked, what didn’t, and that will help determine a plan heading into next season.

“Certainly, a lot of the answers are going to be right there on the tape,” he said. “An advantage of this position is we know exactly what we asked those guys to do last year and if it didn’t work, finding out why it didn’t work.”

Malone’s appointment fills one opening on the staff, but Hazell is still searching for a quarterbacks coach. One name to watch – Tim Lester, who was Syracuse’s quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator last season. Lester played quarterback at Western Michigan when Hazell was the program’s receivers coach for two seasons in 1995 and 1996.

Purdue could also name its defensive coordinator before the end of the calendar year. Linebackers coach Marcus Freeman is a strong candidate and could become a co-coordinator with a current member of the staff or with the new defensive line coach.