Purdue’s winningest coaches had Purdue experience

[Born Boiler]

The three winningest coaches in Purdue’s football history – and six of the top 11 on Purdue’s career wins list -- coached as assistants for Purdue before becoming the head coach. Also, the three leaders all stayed and retired as Boilermakers, as opposed to those who only used Purdue as a step.

Of the five without prior Purdue ties, all arrived as proven college head coaches.

1. Joe Tiller (87 wins, age 54-65) – Assistant coach for Purdue in 1983-1986, returned as experienced head coach in 1997-2008 with overall record of 87-62 (.584), including 53-43 in Big Ten, with 10 bowl games in 12 years. Retired.
2. Jack Mollenkopf (84 wins, age 52-65) -- Assistant for Purdue in 1947-1955, promoted to head coach in 1956-1969 with overall record of 84-39-9 (.670), including 58-32-5 in Big Ten, with a Rose Bowl championship. Retired.
3. Noble Kizer (42 wins, age 30-36) – Assistant coach for Purdue in 1925-1929, promoted to head coach in 1930-1936 with overall record of 42-13-3 (.750), including 26-9-3 in Big Ten. Retired and became Purdue athletic director.
4. Jim Young (38 wins, age 42-46) – No previous tie. Head coach at Arizona, then Purdue in 1977-1981 with overall record of 38-19-1 (.664), including 26-14-1 in Big Ten. Three bowl games in five years. Resigned. Resurrected at Army.
5. Jeff Brohm (36 wins, age 46-51) -- No previous tie. Head coach at Western Kentucky, then Purdue in 2017-2022 with overall record of 36-34 (.514), including 19-17 in Big Ten. Abandoned New Year’s Day bowl team for Lulvul.
6. Jim Phelan (35 wins, age 29-36) – No previous tie. Head coach at Missouri, then Purdue in 1922-1929 with overall record of 35-22-5 (.605), including 14-17-4 in Big Ten. Abandoned 8-0 team for Washington.
6. Stu Holcomb (35 wins, age 37-45) – No previous tie. Head coach at Miami, Ohio, then Purdue in 1947-1955 with record of 35-42-5 (.457), including 25-23-1 in Big Ten. Resigned to become athletic director at Northwestern.
8. David Balliet (22 wins, age 27-35) – No previous tie. Head coach at Auburn, then Purdue in 1893-1895 and 1901 with overall record of 22-10-2 (.676), including 0-3-1 in the Western (soon-to-be the Big Ten, founded by Purdue). Fired.
8. Danny Hope (22 wins, age 50-56) -- Assistant for Purdue in 1997-2001, returned as assistant in 2008 and head coach in 2009-2012 with overall record of 22-27 (.449), including 13-19 in Big Ten, with two bowls in four years. Fired.
10. Leon Burtnett (21 wins, age 39-43) – Assistant for Purdue in 1977-1981, promoted to head coach in 1982-1986 with overall record of 21-34-1 (.384), including 17-25-1 in Big Ten. One bowl game in five years. Fired.
10. Jim Colletto (21 wins, age 47-52) – Assistant for Purdue in 1982-1984, returned as head coach in 1991-1996 with overall record of 21-42-3 (.341), including 13-32-3 in Big Ten. No bowl games. Fired.

Note: Purdue’s top 10 includes No. 8 Danny Hope despite his firing in 2012 before the bowl game in his fourth year at 22-27 -- the exact same record held by No. 5 Jeff Brohm in 2021 during the fifth of his six seasons, a tenure that drew more extensions than Milli Vanilli.

 

[rgarlitz]

A Purdue connection is helpful but not a must-have, IMO. I would target coaches with demonstrated success in programs comparable to Purdue.

 

[Gemini95]

Irrelevant

 

[bonefish1]

I'd actually rather have a HC with no Purdue connection. Fresh blood and a different perspective.

 

[Bippus33]

I'd actually rather have a HC with no Purdue connection. Fresh blood and a different perspective.

Fresh Blood?

 

[Born Boiler]

Like a young and fresh coordinator from Illinois? Just been there, done that.

Do you people want a head coach or a temp? Another job-hopper? Another total washout? This is one helluva tough job, and, as detailed above, only familiarity has brought lasting success here.

I recommend either one of two former Purdue star linebackers who then became Purdue assistants and are now long-proven as successful head coaches -- Kevin Sumlin (95-63) or Brock Spack (111-73) -- or possibly former assistant Jamarcus Shepherd, the latter on condition of a performance-structured contract, given the absence of any head coaching experience – which now should sound alarm bells -- or perhaps as the designated successor to Sumlin or Spack, now age 60 and 62, respectively, both years younger than all-time leaders Tiller and Mollenkopf were before retiring at 65 here.

Anyone from outside with no ties and we’re only asking for another abandonment and yet more trouble. Enough.

 

[Gemini95]

He clearly said head coach so no not a "young and fresh coordinator"

 

[mdclaxton]

Like a young and fresh coordinator from Illinois? Just been there, done that.

Do you people want a head coach or a temp? Another job-hopper? Another total washout? This is one helluva tough job, and, as detailed above, only familiarity has brought lasting success here.

I recommend either one of two former Purdue star linebackers who then became Purdue assistants and are now long-proven as successful head coaches -- Kevin Sumlin (95-63) or Brock Spack (111-73) -- or possibly former assistant Jamarcus Shepherd, the latter on condition of a performance-structured contract, given the absence of any head coaching experience – which now should sound alarm bells -- or perhaps as the designated successor to Sumlin or Spack, now age 60 and 62, respectively, both years younger than all-time leaders Tiller and Mollenkopf were before retiring at 65 here.

Anyone from outside with no ties and we’re only asking for another abandonment and yet more trouble. Enough.

Still beating this dead horse. No to both Spack and Sumlin. Spack has been pretty meh, right around .500 in FCS other than a few outlier seasons here and there. Sumlin was terrible at Arizona and hasn't been a head coach candidate anywhere since. We need to aim higher.

 

[rgarlitz]

Kevin Sumlin was once a rising star in coaching, but his last head gig at Arizona (9-20) didn't go very well.

It seems like Brock Spack's name has been tossed out for every Purdue search since Tiller left. He's done solid work at Illinois State in the toughest FCS conference. But high major college football has changed a lot since he last coached at Purdue.

I doubt either of those guys would do much to excite recruiting, season ticket sales or NIL contributions.