Hope springs eternal in West Lafayette

By Bart Doan  |   Tuesday, March 10, 2009  |  Comments( 1 )

Purdue Boilermakers
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There are juicier story lines, more talked about hirings and more overhyped recruiting classes than that of Purdue University, but if this story was at LSU, Southern Cal or just about anywhere else, head coach Danny Hope would be making big headlines. Purdue truly is going a different, controversial route with its new-look program. One must have figured that not much would be different, what with Hope sporting the trademark Joe Tiller sandy blonde hair and bushy mustache.

It takes only a quick scan of the recruiting class to notice a glaring omission from the list. Purdue made no scholarship offers to instate players. While that doesn't sound like a big deal, go ahead and try to find another program with that distinction. You won't. Instate recruiting often is the lifeblood of a program. It fills up those necessary spots on a roster where other, bigger name recruits decline offers and go elsewhere. Instate players also often make up the entire walk-on program. That doesn't worry Hope, though, and for good reason.

Hope decreed when speaking about his class that when he first interviewed for the Purdue head coaching job, his main platform was taking a new approach to recruiting -- one that left the often talent-devoid lands of Indiana and crept southward. Of Hope's 20 incoming recruits, an astounding 14 of them hail from Florida. Four come from talent-rich Miami. The Boilermakers' top five prospects all hail from Florida. Hope's class isn't littered with five-star prospects, though. To be frank, he's not getting Floridian kids whom the Gators, Hurricanes or even the Wolverines were much after. In fact, not a single one of Purdue's incoming freshmen was even offered by the defending national champions.

Still, you can see the landscape changing. These aren't your older brother's Boilermakers of the past decade and they certainly aren't your father's. Basketball on grass isn't completely done, but it will be a faster paced version of it than Tiller's, which seemed to feature any number of plodding, possession receivers. If this is Hope's platform, it appears he is on his way. Purdue will open next season with gaping holes at receiver, running back and quarterback, where four-year starter Curtis Painter has departed. You could say no new coach was in need of more groceries to restock the cupboard than Hope. You could also say that no coach was more ready for it. The gem of Hope's class is a running back named Al-Terek McBurse, a Floridian who started all four of his years in high school. He chose Purdue because of the immediate opportunity to make an impact. With Kory Sheets gone, that time may come during the Boilers' first snap of the season.

Hope also is changing the culture of the traditional Tiller quarterback. Kyle Orton or Painter types need not apply. Again, from Florida, Hope plucked dual-threat QB Rob Henry to accompany Justin Siller, who started in Painter's stead while hurt and ineffective. In many ways, though changing styles, Hope is relying on Tiller's method of taking a chance on hidden talent in lush recruiting areas because that seems to be the only option. For all of Tiller's successes, late in his tenure the Boilermaker program became stale the way it once was when Jim Colletto ran the ship. One of the criticisms of Tiller was that he got too ingrained in Big Ten-style football. He was trying to run between the tackles with kids twice as small and not nearly as fast. His spread offense became more I-formation. Against speedy cornerbacks, his receivers often looked like offensive linemen. Unfortunately, against power Big Ten schools, all of his offensive linemen looked like receivers. If nothing else, Hope is picking a new, more sleek style and seeing where it goes. He hopes it will lead back to the fast type of Purdue team that went to the Rose Bowl a short eight years ago.

Whether out-recruiting the likes of Central Florida or Georgia Tech will make wins remains to be seen. What already is known is that Hope will turn a deaf ear to traditional practices to build his team his way. If it works, it's refreshing. If not, it's back to Eastern Kentucky. If Hope fails, though, he will go down in a fight with players from the best recruiting areas in the nation. Though locals get put off by ignoring instate players and coaches, Hope knows that pandering to the crowd down the street might get him a few more winks and smiles, but not necessarily more wins. He may be taking the road more scrutinized, but in a rapidly changing Big Ten, that road also might have a pit stop in Pasadena.
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About Bart Doan

Bart has been with Realfootball365.com for about six months and thoroughly enjoys writing for the site. He has been featured for his writings on college football in The Sporting News, The Indianapolis Star, Sports Illustrated, and on CBS Sportsline.com. When he's not drowning himself in the ...
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