Coach Painter and Coach (Cuonzo) Martin

[mathboy]

You said Purdue basketball was at the height of its popularity during Matt Painter era. That means more popular than threepeat era, more popular than baby boiler era, more popular than three amigo era, more popular than JBC era.
That is simply false. If Tom Brady retired tomorrow. ...and Patriots win one playoff game over next 4 years......Nobody would say that the next four years were the height of Patriots popularity. Nobody would say players in between baby boilers and Haas, VE, Swanigan.....played at the height of Purdue basketball popularity. Except perhaps you, pig, and mathboy would.

All right BF, you are right. Nobody gave two poops about the team when Painter played. I am sure that's what made him such a rotten coach. There. Now will you let this bone go?

We are actually talking past each other. No, Purdue did not have a great record , but this was between two really good sets of teams, hence the popularity was near or at its all time high. Popularity, not performance.

 

[BoilerBF]

All right BF, you are right. Nobody gave two poops about the team when Painter played. I am sure that's what made him such a rotten coach. There. Now will you let this bone go?

We are actually talking past each other. No, Purdue did not have a great record , but this was between two really good sets of teams, hence the popularity was near or at its all time high. Popularity, not performance.

I am quite happy Painter is our coach...and think his best days are ahead of him.
You are correct as a player Painter played in between too really good periods. After the very good run we are about to go on over next several years....same will be said for Terone Johnson and Travis Carroll....albeit they overlapped with JJ and Smooge senior year. So they played one year where Purdue bball was in one of its golden periods.

 

[West James]

You're looking at things black and white. Of course, at the end of the day, it was Burke's decision. Keady can't take something to the President behind Burke's back. I'm simply saying that coaching search had little to do with Burke's ideas, but it was Keady that pushed for it. Obviously Burke agreed and it happened.

At the end of the day, it's really not that big of a deal, but I don't think I'd say "Burke gets all the credit for this" or anything like that.

I don't know the inner workings at Purdue, never did or will, but your theory sounds about right. Possibly, Gene [weather he liked him or not, knows people, talent & coaches] chose Painter because, of all the candidates who had strong Purdue ties, Painter was, if not the logical choice, among the best young, somewhat successfully, proven candidates available at the time. Even though Burke had the final say, after looking at the various candidates available, Burke [like others] couldn't find anyone [positively] better [, younger, more successfull, qualified, with the Purdue ties, available] at the time. Lavin would [if available at the time?] have seemed like anouther top candidate. Just glad it was Painter, and it worked out as well as it did. All in all, Burke did a pretty good job as well. Was Kevin Stallings [Vandy] wanting the job then [& able to leave Vandy then?], & a top candidate of Gene's? Kevin turned out pretty well too.

 

[Heller]

I don't know the inner workings at Purdue, never did or will, but your theory sounds about right. Possibly, Gene [weather he liked him or not, knows people, talent & coaches] chose Painter because, of all the candidates who had strong Purdue ties, Painter was, if not the logical choice, among the best young, somewhat successfully, proven candidates available at the time. Even though Burke had the final say, after looking at the various candidates available, Burke [like others] couldn't find anyone [positively] better [, younger, more successfull, qualified, with the Purdue ties, available] at the time. Lavin would [if available at the time?] have seemed like anouther top candidate. Just glad it was Painter, and it worked out as well as it did. All in all, Burke did a pretty good job as well. Was Kevin Stallings [Vandy] wanting the job then [& able to leave Vandy then?], & a top candidate of Gene's? Kevin turned out pretty well too.

A lot of people wanted the job. It was no secret Keady was being forced to retire three years before it happened. So at some point Stallings might have shown interest. But once Burke let it be known he wanted the coach in waiting plan a lot of guys passed. Stallings and Lavin were two of the biggest names and Weber was solid at Illinois at that point.

 

[boiler800]

All right BF, you are right. Nobody gave two poops about the team when Painter played. I am sure that's what made him such a rotten coach. There. Now will you let this bone go?

We are actually talking past each other. No, Purdue did not have a great record , but this was between two really good sets of teams, hence the popularity was near or at its all time high. Popularity, not performance.

Back in that time frame and before, the team that sold out the most consecutive bb games in the midwest was not the Cicago Bulls, it was the PURDUE BOILERMAKERS! Boiler Up!

 

[West James]

A lot of people wanted the job. It was no secret Keady was being forced to retire three years before it happened. So at some point Stallings might have shown interest. But once Burke let it be known he wanted the coach in waiting plan a lot of guys passed. Stallings and Lavin were two of the biggest names and Weber was solid at Illinois at that point.

Wouldn't surprise me if youth had a little do do with it as well. Painter was the youngest, & I believe a little more identifiable/relatable to the players at that time. Glad it worked out as it did. Purdue got the best of the bunch, twice in a row. In reality, Gene [if we had known what the next 5 yrs. would bring] should have retired 5 years before he did. Crystal balls are like Monday morning quarterbacks. They always bat 1000 percent.

 

[Heller]

Wouldn't surprise me if youth had a little do do with it as well. Painter was the youngest, & I believe a little more identifiable/relatable to the players at that time. Glad it worked out as it did. Purdue got the best of the bunch, twice in a row. In reality, Gene [if we had known what the next 5 yrs. would bring] should have retired 5 years before he did. Crystal balls are like Monday morning quarterbacks. They always bat 1000 percent.

That's actually pretty unfair to Gene. Purdue didn't have Weber or Jay Price and he was coming off the probation caused by a disgruntled women's coach. Many coaches used the end of his contract as a negative against Purdue not the least of whom was Davis at IU and Izzo. I think Gene did okay given the circumstances.

 

[West James]

That's actually pretty unfair to Gene. Purdue didn't have Weber or Jay Price and he was coming off the probation caused by a disgruntled women's coach. Many coaches used the end of his contract as a negative against Purdue not the least of whom was Davis at IU and Izzo. I think Gene did okay given the circumstances.

I think Gene Keady was a great coach. Who are some of the other great coaches who went out [willingly] at the top of their/their team's game, with out being pressed from those above them to do so, while winning? There aren't that many. Wasn't Gene 6 time B1G Coach of the Year? Rarely does a successfull coach of Gene's stature go out willing, while winning at the time. Usually, the great coach sees the writing on the wall, or is helped to see the inevitable/writing.

If Gene himself had known his last 5 years at Purdue would be so troubling/dissapointing, [remember I mentioned the crystal ball/Monday morning quarterbacks?] he may have made other plans himself? That's just it about life, one never knows what to expect the next day, or next season. I didn't fault Gene, such is the nature of the beast, that drive to win, be the best/all you can be. We all have it to some degree or anouther. The winners, driven from within as they are, have a drive that's superior to most others. Gene had that superior drive. He thought as I, [& many others at the time] he could somehow turn the program around. I didn't fault him, nor was I unfair to him. If my crystal ball [as I mentioned previously] was working up to par, I'd have said, damn the mud & bet the ranch & south 40 on American Pharoah. I doubt you or I would have given up so soon ourselves, if we had a total, overall record & history such as Gene had at the time. I won't speak for you, but I wouldn't have thrown in the towel.

 

[purdue4sure]

If Matt Painter hypothetically announced he was leaving Purdue tomorrow and:

Burke hired the following resume:
1) 33 years old
2) asst coaching stops at Washington & Jefferson, Barton, Eastern Illlinois, SIU
3) 1 year head coach, MVC coach of year, league title. 0-1NCAA tournament record

That would be a popular hire today with Purdue fanbase?

Yes.

 

[lbodel]

I think Gene Keady was a great coach. Who are some of the other great coaches who went out [willingly] at the top of their/their team's game, with out being pressed from those above them to do so, while winning? There aren't that many. Wasn't Gene 6 time B1G Coach of the Year? Rarely does a successfull coach of Gene's stature go out willing, while winning at the time. Usually, the great coach sees the writing on the wall, or is helped to see the inevitable/writing.

If Gene himself had known his last 5 years at Purdue would be so troubling/dissapointing, [remember I mentioned the crystal ball/Monday morning quarterbacks?] he may have made other plans himself? That's just it about life, one never knows what to expect the next day, or next season. I didn't fault Gene, such is the nature of the beast, that drive to win, be the best/all you can be. We all have it to some degree or anouther. The winners, driven from within as they are, have a drive that's superior to most others. Gene had that superior drive. He thought as I, [& many others at the time] he could somehow turn the program around. I didn't fault him, nor was I unfair to him. If my crystal ball [as I mentioned previously] was working up to par, I'd have said, damn the mud & bet the ranch & south 40 on American Pharoah. I doubt you or I would have given up so soon ourselves, if we had a total, overall record & history such as Gene had at the time. I won't speak for you, but I wouldn't have thrown in the towel.

I think it's a lot easier to say this kind of stuff in retrospect. In 2000, he went to the Elite 8 and came incredibly close to going to the Final Four. The following year, the team went to the final 8 in the NIT. The following year, a losing record. But then the team went to the NCAA Tournament again. The next year the team went to the NIT and then the transition was announced.

Coming so close to the Final Four I'm sure made it hard for him to seriously consider retirement. And in his last 5 true years (his final season doesn't really count), he had 1 losing season. Of course, did the future look bright? It was a tough environment for Gene, but you still look at guys like Landry and Teague - both of whom had serious injuries - he still had some talented guys.

I agree that it was probably about time to make a transition and the right move was made. However, I do think it's easier for us now to look back and be critical of Gene, but I understand his point of view too.