Drew Brees has been hired as an interim assistant coach at Purdue, the school announced

Drew Brees has been hired as an interim assistant coach at Purdue, the school announced.Drew Brees is returning to football temporarily. Purdue has hired the former Boilermakers and NFL quarterback as an interim assistant coach to help with preparations for the Citrus Bowl, the program announced Thursday. Here’s what you need to know:

Brees will join the Boilermakers and newly-hired head coach Ryan Walters in West Lafayette, Ind.

Purdue (8-5) won the Big Ten West division title for the first time in program history this season.

The Boilermakers will face LSU in the Citrus Bowl on Jan. 2.

Brees played QB at Purdue from 1997 to 2000 and earned the starting job as a sophomore. He brought Purdue back into the national spotlight, leading the program to its second-ever Rose Bowl in his senior season. That same year he won the Maxwell Award, given to the nation’s most outstanding college football player.

Brees holds numerous Purdue records for passing yards (11,792), completions (1,026), attempts (1,678) and touchdowns (90).

He went on to play for 20 seasons in the NFL with the San Diego Chargers and the New Orleans Saints. Brees capped off a strong 2009 season by winning Super Bowl XLIV with the Saints and earning Super Bowl MVP.

Former New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, who starred at Purdue from 1997-2000, has joined the Boilers coaching staff as an interim assistant. 

The official announcement of Brees’ return to West Lafayette was made on Thursday by director of athletics Mike Bobinski.

“For more than two decades, Drew Brees has shown the world what makes the Boilermakers special. He was an elite football player, but most of all, Drew is an extraordinary leader,” Bobinski said in a news release. “Gaining his insights on the football field and in our coaching offices during this time of transition will be of great value to our student-athletes and staff.”

Brees, a 20-year NFL veteran and the MVP of Super Bowl 44, will be involved in on-field preparation and will be able to participate in recruiting activities. 

The winner of the Maxwell Award for the nation’s most outstanding player in 2000, Brees led Purdue to the Rose Bowl that season. 

The Boilermakers went 8-5 under Brohm this year and are looking for back-to-back seasons of at least nine wins for the first time since Brees’ freshman and sophomore seasons in 1997 and 1998.Purdue will be without three of its top offensive players for the Citrus Bowl. Redshirt senior quarterback Aidan O’Connell is opting out of the game after leading the Big Ten in completions (320) and yards passing (3,490) this season. The Boilermakers’ top two pass-catchers, receiver Charlie Jones and tight end Payne Durham, are also skipping the bowl game. Jones leads the nation in yards receiving (1,361) and receptions (110), while Durham has 56 receptions. The two have combined for 20 touchdown catches.

Brees has been an ambassador for Purdue ever since his playing days at the school ended, having donated millions of dollars to the university over the years. But by taking on an assistant coaching role — even on a temporary basis — it’s a sign of Brees’ commitment to keeping the program competitive and nationally relevant following Brohm’s departure. 

The Boilermakers appeared in the Big Ten Championship Game for the first time in program history this season. The program’s back-to-back 6-3 marks in Big Ten play over the past two seasons marked the best two-year run of conference play since 1997 and 1998, when Brees was the quarterback.