http://www.indystar.com/article/20121219/SPORTS0602/212200324/

Coach Hazell interviewed with the media after his practice with Kent State today. In that conversation, Hazell said several things that I was really happy to hear.

1. He re-emphasized his commitment to recruiting the Midwest. I absolutely love this. Hope's Florida and Texas connections weren't bad...we found a lot of talent in those areas...but taking the top players in Indiana and surrounding states will mean a lot for the program. Hazell can use his Ohio State connections to his advantage in this regard.

2. Hazell wants a class of around 22 players...meaning he hopes to expand on the class currently in place. Will he take the JC route for extra experience or try to go hard after currently uncommitted players in '13? We'll find out soon.

3. The new coach hopes to have his staff in place in the next 8-9 days, so news on that front will surface soon. Hazell said that he likes a few of the coaches we have right now (Higgins for sure I think), and it's obvious that he'll use his Kent State and Ohio State connections to help find his coaches.

4. When asked what he'll look for when watching Purdue's bowl on January 1st, he said: "I want to see body language. I want to see how they react to adversity. I want to see how hard they play. I want to see everything. I'll be taking notes and those will be things we need to get corrected."

The man is a pro and all business. Get excited, Boilermakers....football will return.

NOTE: On 12/20 at 6 pm, Boilermaker Blitz will do it's first of very many live chats with Purdue fans through TinyChat.com. It's a great resource for connecting with people. The link to the room will be posted on my Twitter handle (@BoilerOfLegend), the site's Twitter (@BoilerBlitz), and BoilermakerBlitz.com about 5 minutes before showtime. Join us...we're looking for a great discussion.

Boiler Up!