WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) — Darrell Hazell spent most of his coaching career telling others to "be great." Now he'll try to live up to that mantra in his new job at Purdue.

Boilermakers athletic director Morgan Burke hired the 48-year-old Kent State coach on Wednesday to lead the school dubbed as the Cradle of Quarterbacks out of mediocrity, back into national prominence and presumably back to a Rose Bowl.

"I'm extremely excited to work with the players at Purdue, and I look forward to experiencing a lot of success in the future," Hazell said in a release issued by the school. "It's a wonderful opportunity."