Darrell Hazell facts for kids

Darrell Ivan Hazell, born on April 14, 1964, was an American football coach. He led two college teams as head coach: Kent State from 2011 to 2012, and Purdue from 2013 to 2016.

Darrell grew up in Cinnaminson Township, New Jersey. He graduated from Cinnaminson High School in 1982. There, he played football and ran track. He then attended Muskingum University starting in the fall of 1982. He was a starting player on the football team for his last three years. Darrell graduated from college in 1986.

Before becoming a head coach, he worked as an assistant coach. He coached at schools like Oberlin, Eastern Illinois, Penn, Western Michigan, Army, West Virginia, and Rutgers. From 2004 to 2010, Hazell was the wide receivers coach at Ohio State under coach Jim Tressel.

In December 2010, Kent State hired him as their head coach. On November 28, 2012, coaches in the Mid-American Conference named Hazell the 2012 Coach of the Year. On December 5, 2012, Purdue chose Hazell as their new head coach. He replaced Danny Hope. During his time at Purdue, he had the lowest winning percentage for a coach who stayed for multiple seasons.

Darrell Hazell's Early Life and College Years

Growing Up in Cinnaminson

Darrell Hazell went to Cinnaminson High School in Cinnaminson Township, New Jersey. He graduated in 1982. While in high school, Hazell was part of both the football team and the track & field team.

Playing Football at Muskingum University

When he was 17, Darrell Hazell wasn't sure about his college plans. He went to a college fair in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A man there suggested he look at a small school in Ohio. Hazell found a booth for a small Ohio college and filled out an information card.

Three weeks later, the head coach from Muskingum University, Jeff Heacock, called him. He invited Hazell for a visit to the campus. Hazell agreed and also planned a visit to Waynesburg College that same weekend.

After spending just four hours at Muskingum, Hazell loved the school and decided to go there. He started at Muskingum in the fall of 1982. He earned a letter as a wide receiver in his first year.

Breakout Season and Awards

In 1983, during his second year, Hazell had an amazing season. He set school records with 805 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns. This great performance earned him his first All-Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) award.

Hazell continued to earn a letter each season as a member of the football team. In 1984, as a junior, he again received All-OAC honors. He helped his team tie a school record with 9 wins in one season.

As a senior in 1985, Hazell was a team captain. He earned All-OAC honors once more. He also received Division III Honorable Mention All-American honors from Pizza Hut.

Hazell also ran track as a sprinter and earned letters in that sport for several years. His career records at Muskingum were 132 receptions and 1,966 receiving yards. These records stood until 2013. In 1993, Darrell Hazell was honored by being inducted into the Muskingum University Athletic Hall of Fame.

Darrell Hazell's Coaching Journey

Starting His Coaching Career

Darrell Hazell began his coaching career at Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio. He was the running backs coach under head coach Don Hunsinger. Hazell stayed at Oberlin for two seasons.

In 1988, he became the running backs and wide receivers coach at Eastern Illinois University. There, he worked with Bob Spoo, a former Purdue quarterback. The next year, Hazell went back to Oberlin to become the offensive coordinator.

After three years at Penn, Hazell returned to Division I college football. He spent two years as the wide receivers coach at Western Michigan University under Hall of Fame Coach Al Molde. In 2001, Hazell took the wide receivers coach job at Rutgers University under new head coach Greg Schiano.

Coaching at Ohio State University

In 2004, Hazell became the wide receivers coach at Ohio State University. He worked under head coach Jim Tressel. Hazell earned Tressel's trust and was promoted in 2005. He became the Assistant Head Coach while still coaching wide receivers. Hazell remained with Ohio State until 2010.

Leading the Kent State Golden Flashes

2011 Season at Kent State

In December 2010, Darrell Hazell was named the head coach at Kent State University. In his first season, the team had two losing streaks of three games each. However, they also had a five-game winning streak later in the season.

Kent State lost their first three games. These included losses to Alabama (who became national champions) and Kansas State. They also lost a home game to Louisiana-Lafayette.

Hazell's first win at Kent State happened on September 24. They won 33–25 against South Alabama at Dix Stadium. The team then lost their first three games in the MAC conference. But they bounced back by beating Bowling Green. This win started their five-game winning streak.

During this streak, they had a big 35–3 win over their rival Akron at InfoCision Stadium – Summa Field. This was Kent State's first win in Akron since 2003. The season ended with a 34–16 loss at Temple. The Flashes finished third in their MAC East division. Their overall record was 5 wins and 7 losses, with 4 wins and 4 losses in the MAC.

2012 Season: A Record-Breaking Year

The 2012 season started with a 41–21 win over Towson at Dix Stadium. This was followed by a 47–17 loss at Kentucky. After that loss, the Flashes defeated Buffalo at University at Buffalo Stadium. They then had an exciting comeback win, 45–43, over Ball State in Kent.

A 31–17 win over Army at Michie Stadium was important. It was Kent State's first road victory against a non-conference team since 2007. Their winning streak grew to six games, which was the longest for Kent State since 1940. This happened after a 35–23 win over undefeated and 18th-ranked Rutgers at High Point Solutions Stadium. This win was the Flashes' first-ever victory against a ranked opponent. Before this game, they had been 0–22 against ranked teams.

This big win earned Kent State votes in the October 28, 2012, AP Poll, Coaches' Poll, and the Harris Interactive College Football Poll. The team kept winning. They beat Akron in the Battle for the Wagon Wheel game at Dix Stadium. Then, they had a 48–32 win over the Miami RedHawks at Yager Stadium. The win over Miami set a new team record for consecutive victories in a season with eight. It also tied the 1973 team for the most wins in a season with nine.

On November 11, the Flashes were ranked 25th in the weekly AP poll. This was their first time being ranked since November 5, 1973. Kent State secured their first-ever MAC East Division title. This earned them a spot in the 2012 MAC Championship Game. They achieved this with a 31–24 win over Bowling Green at Doyt Perry Stadium on November 17.

After the Bowling Green win, the Flashes moved up to No. 23 in the AP poll. They also entered the Coaches' and Harris polls at No. 25. Kent State was also ranked for the first time in the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) standings at No. 23. The team climbed as high as 17th in the BCS standings. This happened after their regular season-ending win over Ohio at Dix Stadium on November 23. This win meant they had their first-ever undefeated season in MAC play. It also set a record for most wins in a season with 11.

Kent State, however, lost in overtime to Northern Illinois in the MAC Championship Game. After this loss, Kent State accepted an invitation to play in the 2013 GoDaddy.com Bowl. Hazell accepted the head coaching position at Purdue on December 5. However, Purdue allowed Hazell to coach Kent State in the bowl game. This was the Flashes' first bowl appearance since the 1972 Tangerine Bowl. Paul Haynes, a Kent State alum, was hired as the new coach on December 18. Kent State lost to Arkansas State 17–13, finishing the season with 11 wins and 3 losses.

Coaching the Purdue Boilermakers

2013 Season at Purdue

On December 5, 2012, Darrell Hazell was announced as the 35th head coach in Purdue University's history. His contract with Purdue was for 6 years and $12 million. In Hazell's first game as Purdue's coach, the Boilermakers lost 7–42 to the Cincinnati Bearcats.

The next week, against Indiana State, Hazell won his first game at Purdue, 20–14. After the Boilermakers started with 1 win and 3 losses, Rob Henry continued to struggle in the team's fourth game. Danny Etling then entered a game with Purdue trailing 27–10 to Northern Illinois. Etling finished that game with 241 passing yards, throwing two touchdowns and two interceptions. The next week, Etling was named the starting quarterback for the Boilermakers. With Etling at quarterback, Hazell focused on giving younger players experience for the future. The Boilermakers finished the 2013 season with a 56–36 loss to the Indiana Hoosiers. Their record of 1 win and 11 losses was one of the worst seasons in Purdue history.

2014 Season: Seeking Improvement

Before the 2014 season, there was another competition for the starting quarterback job. Etling again won over Austin Appleby. Purdue started the 2014 season with a 43–34 victory over Western Michigan.

Etling led Purdue to a record of 2 wins and 3 losses in the first five games. Then, Hazell decided to start Appleby for Purdue's sixth game against Illinois. Appleby led Purdue to a 38–27 victory. This was Hazell's first win in the Big Ten Conference. After starting the season with 3 wins and 3 losses, Purdue lost a close game to Minnesota at the TCF Bank Stadium. This started a six-game losing streak that ended the season. They finished the year with 3 wins and 9 losses.

2015 Season: More Changes at Quarterback

During the time between seasons, quarterback Danny Etling transferred to LSU. Austin Appleby won the starting quarterback job over David Blough and Elijah Sindelar. The season began with a close loss against Marshall. However, the team bounced back with an easy win over their FCS opponent, Indiana State.

After throwing six interceptions in three games, Appleby was replaced as starting quarterback by David Blough. This meant Purdue had four different starting quarterbacks since 2011. Even with some moments of good play, like a 24–21 loss to No. 2 Michigan State, Purdue continued to lose. They finished the season with a 54–36 home loss to Indiana Hoosiers. The team's record was 2 wins and 10 losses.

2016 Season: Hazell's Final Year

The 2016 season started with a 45–24 win over Eastern Kentucky. But this was followed by a 38–20 loss to Cincinnati. After a break week, the Boilermakers managed a 24–14 win over Nevada. Then, they suffered a big 50–7 loss to Maryland in their first Big Ten game of the year.

On October 16, 2016, after a loss to Iowa, Purdue University fired Hazell. At that point, his record for the season was 3 wins and 3 losses. During his three and a half years at Purdue, Hazell had a total record of 9 wins and 33 losses. In Big Ten games, his record was 3 wins and 24 losses.

Coaching for the Minnesota Vikings

On February 17, 2017, Hazell was hired as the wide receivers coach for the Minnesota Vikings. He coached for them for two seasons.

Retirement from Coaching

After the 2018 season, Darrell Hazell decided to retire from coaching.

Darrell Hazell's Head Coaching Record