Coach Ryan Walters brought in Graham Harrell to shape Purdue’s well-known offense, but he only lasted 16 games as the offensive coordinator.
Less than a day after firing Harrell, Walters announced that Jason Simmons will handle the play-calling for the remainder of the season at the Cradle of Quarterbacks.
“Obviously, not an easy conversation,” Walters said about the decision regarding Harrell. “But this is a business. It has nothing to do with anything personal. I think Graham’s a great coach, just, you know, for whatever reason, it wasn’t working here.”
This change happened after the Boilermakers (1-3, 0-1 Big Ten) suffered their third consecutive loss, following a strong win against FCS opponent Indiana State in the season opener.
Since that game, Purdue has faced numerous challenges. In the last three matches, they have had two first-half shutouts, been outscored 83-17 in the first three quarters, and seen quarterback Hudson Card throw the same number of touchdown passes as interceptions returned for touchdowns (three).
While the defense has also faced difficulties—like allowing 362 rushing yards in a 66-7 defeat to then-No. 18 Notre Dame, the worst loss in school history—it’s the offense that appears to be struggling the most.
“I believe we have a better team than we’ve been showing the last three weeks and there’s a lot of football still to be played,” Walters said. “I feel like if I didn’t do anything right now, it would be kind of like waving a white flag on the season and nobody in that building is ready to do that. So if a change was going to be made in December, I just didn’t think it would be fair for everyone involved.”
Simmons brings a fresh perspective to Purdue’s offense. He joined the team this season as an offensive analyst after serving as the running backs coach at Miami (Ohio) last year.
In Indiana, Simmons is also known for his time as the head coach of Ben Davis High School in Indianapolis. He held that position from 2018 to 2022, leading the Giants to four straight Final Four appearances in the state playoffs.
