Hazell joined the Mountaineer family in 1999 to work with the running backs, having spent the past two years at the U.S. Military Academy coaching the Army's tight ends and split ends. He was selected for a summer internship in 1998 with the NFL's Oakland Raiders. Prior to West Point, Hazell spent two seasons (1995-96) as receivers coach at Western Michigan and three years (1992-94) as running backs coach at Penn where the Quakers went 19-0 and won two Ivy League Championships. Hazell began his coaching career at Oberlin College, serving two years as running back coach before moving to Eastern Illinois where he spent one year as coach of the running backs and receivers. In 1989, he returned to Oberlin as offensive coordinator for three seasons, he also spent a portion of the 1989 campaign as Oberlin's interim head coach. A 1986 graduate of Muskingum College, he was a three year All-Conference selection and earned All-American honors in 1995. Was inducted in Muskingum Hall of Fame in 1993.