THE SIDELINES : Purdue Seen Likely to Fire Coach

Purdue football Coach Fred Akers will be fired at the end of this season unless the Boilermakers experience a major turnaround in their final five games, according to a published report.

The Indianapolis Star, quoting unidentified sources, including some in the Purdue athletic department, also reported Monday that if Akers goes, Athletic Director George King, who is 62, may be asked to take an early retirement.

Purdue is 1-5 this season, 0-3 in the Big Ten, and has scored only nine points in its last three games. Akers’ record is 11-27-1 in four years at Purdue after 10 years as head coach at Texas (86-31-2) and two at Wyoming (10-13-0).