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Purdue has fired coach Darrell Hazell following the Boilermakers 49-35 loss to Iowa on Saturday. Receivers coach Gerad Parker will serve as the Boilermakers interim coach.

The school made the official announcement on Sunday afternoon, including a statement from athletic director Mike Bobinski.

"From the first time I met Darrell, I could tell he was a man of high character -- a quality person who you would want leading a group of young men -- but our inconsistent performance and inability to generate positive momentum thus far this season, along with the disappointing results of the past three seasons, made it clear to me that we needed to make a change. This is not a decision taken lightly, and I respect and appreciate the dedicated effort Darrell has put forth on behalf of Purdue," Bobinski said. "We have a lot of football still ahead of us this season, and it's important that our primary focus be on providing our team with the best possible preparation and opportunity for success. I appreciate Gerad taking over on an interim basis and look forward to his leadership and the continued commitment and efforts of our entire football coaching staff."

Hazell was in his fourth season as Purdue's coach and had amassed a 9-33 record, but failed to win back-to-back games during his tenure. In 2016, Purdue was 3-3 with only one Big Ten win, a 34-31 win over Illinois.

Hazell had never won more than three games in a season at Purdue and the Boilermakers struggled mightily, especially defensively, in his time in West Lafayette. The best the Purdue defense ranked nationally in scoring defense was 99th in 2014 (31.7 ppg allowed) and was allowing 34.3 points per game through six games in 2016.