Nathan Baird

nbaird@jconline.com

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind.— Purdue's football season has entered its final week — and its search for a head coach likely has as well.

Athletic director Mike Bobinski told the Journal & Courier earlier this month he hoped to name a coach "as close to the end of the regular season as we possibly can." Sources confirm that announcement could come as early as this weekend, as Purdue winds up the regular season with Saturday's game at Indiana.

Bobsinski would not confirm that DHR International, the search firm that assisted in his hire as AD, is also helping with the football coaching search. However, he explained why such organizations are useful in these situations, especially when conducting a coaching search throughout a still-active season.

"In today’s world it's beneficial to have someone assist you with the search to allow things to be done in a more confidential way and allow contacts to be made that aren't directly attributable to anyone or anything," Bobinski said. "It can become a very hectic circumstance and adding a consultant to the mix does that every day can help keep the main task at hand."

The six-week head start and use of a search firm would perhaps help Purdue find an off-the-radar candidate. However, big names continue to feed speculation.

According to a report from 24/7 Sports last week, former LSU coach Les Miles and current Western Michigan coach P.J. Fleck are the "focal points" of the Purdue search, citing multiple industry sources.

The report went on to say Miles is telling Purdue and other suitors that he plans to bring current Alabama assistants Steve Sarkisian and Mike Locksley along on his offensive staff.

Both Miles and Fleck were among the obvious names cited in the immediate aftermath of Darrell Hazell's Oct. 16 firing. (Or, in some cases, before.) Miles has a national championship to his name, and Fleck has the Broncos rising in the polls and is one of the rising coaching talents in the game.

Either would appease the vocal portion of a fan base that believes Purdue must win the press conference and jolt the program back towards national relevance via name recognition.

Miles was in Ann Arbor for the Michigan-Indiana game on Saturday. He told The Detroit News he planned to coach again, but didn't say if that would happen as early as next season.

“I have no idea, I have to be honest,” Miles said. “I can tell you this: I’m looking for a school, an AD, a president that wants to invest in their kids and lock arms and go win a championship.”

The Sporting News cited two sources saying former Purdue assistant Greg Olson has interviewed for the job. Olson was recently fired in his second season as the Jacksonville Jaguars' offensive coordinator.

Olson served as Purdue's quarterbacks coach from 1997-2000 — where he mentored Drew Brees — and tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator in 2002. Each time he left for an NFL opportunity.

The Colorado Springs Gazette reported that Air Force coach Troy Calhoun is on Purdue's short list of candidates. It also noted Calhoun's name has been attached to multiple openings over the course of his decade at the academy.

Plenty of other names are running through the rumor mill. Wyoming's Craig Bohl just enhanced his resume by leading the Cowboys to their second top-25 upset of the season, a 34-33 victory over San Diego State. Louisiana Tech's Skip Holtz has led the Bulldogs to six straight victories and, like Bohl, coaches a high-powered offense.

Former Purdue player and assistant Brock Spack, who said he didn't expect to be considered for the job, just led Illinois State back to the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs. Interim coach Gerad Parker's enthusiasm and motivational leadership have won praise from players and others at Purdue. However, the team is winless since he took over for Hazell.

Purdue leadership, from Bobinski to President Mitch Daniels to Board of Trustees chairman Mike Berghoff, has said Purdue is committed to backing the hire financially. Head coaching salary likely won't be the only consideration for a prospective candidate. Gaps in support personnel and commitment to assistant coaches may need to be addressed to lure a new coach.

Bobinski's determination to make a move quickly would indicate Purdue wants to lock its choice up before other dominoes fall. One of those dominoes is at least wobbling, however, after Texas' loss at Kansas could end Charlie Strong's tenure with the Longhorns. Houston's Tom Herman is considered a strong candidate to replace Strong, which opens another potentially desirable job.

Hiring and/or firing decisions at Baylor, LSU, North Carolina, Oregon and other top programs could affect the candidate pool.

That won't be an issue for Purdue if it finds its man and locks him up quickly.

Contact Journal & Courier Purdue sports reporter Nathan Baird at nbaird@jconline.com. Follow on Twitter: @nbairdjc.

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