Danny Hope officially out at Purdue, Patrick Higgins named interim

Despite finishing the season on a three-game winning streak to reach bowl eligibility, the Purdue Boilermakers will have a new coach next season. Purdue has shown Danny Hope the door just a day after the regular season ended. Hope had been the Boilermakers' head coach for the past four seasons. Wide receivers coach Patrick Higgins will be the team's interim head coach while the school looks for a permanent replacement. Purdue athletic director Morgan Burke is scheduled to hold a press conference at 6:30 p.m. to discuss Hope's dismissal.

After picking up wins in three of their first four games, Purdue dropped five straight with the closest loss coming in overtime against the Ohio St. Buckeyes in Columbus. The Boilermakers finished the season with field goal margin wins over the Iowa Hawkeyes and Illinois Fighting Illini before drubbing the Indiana Hoosiers Saturday to get their sixth win and become bowl eligible.

The Boilermakers had been to just one bowl in Hope's three previous seasons. The Boilermakers beat the Western Michigan Broncos 37-32 in last year's Little Caesar's Bowl.