Dick Vitale Describes Why Purdue's Matt Painter is a 'Flat Out Winner'
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Over the last decade, Matt Painter has established himself as one of the top coaches in college basketball. This week, longtime broadcaster Dick Vitale took to social media to praise the 21-year leader of the Boilermakers.
In a post on X on Christmas Eve, Vitale sent out a tweet talking about Painter's success on the basketball court, while also setting an example of it.
"Who said nice guys finish last," Vitale wrote. "They obviously never met [Matt Painter] as he now has 500 wins, stresses fundamentals, makes players better, plus gets his players to function as a TEAM! One of the best all time. A flat out 'WINNER' on & off the court!"
Who said nice guys finish last - they obviously never met @CoachPainter @BoilerBall as he now has 500 Wins - stresses fundamentals - makes players better plus gets his players to function as a TEAM ! @B1GMBBall ‘s one of the best all time .A flat out “WINNER” on & off the court !
— Dick Vitale (@DickieV) December 24, 2025
Purdue is 11-1 so far this season with just one non-conference game remaining on the schedule. The Boilermakers are ranked No. 5 in the country and have an excellent opportunity to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.
Vitale is correct, Painter has become one of college basketball's top coaches. Not only has he eclipsed 500 career victories, but the Boilermakers have also won four Big Ten regular-season titles since 2017 and have reached the NCAA Tournament in 10 consecutive seasons.
In 2024, Purdue reached the Final Four for the first time since 1980 and played in the program's first National Championship Game since 1969.
Painter talks about Purdue fans
Not only is Purdue fortunate to have Painter on its sideline, he's also grateful to have such a supportive fanbase. After the win over Marquette earlier in December, the head coach was asked about the passion that the fanbase showcases every single night.
"Our fans are what you want from your team, you want consistency," Painter said after a 79-59 win. "They show up no matter what. We get beat by Iowa State, they still show up. You want to have an exhibition game against a Division III team, they show up. This is their deal.
"That's what I always tell our guys, be grateful for what you have. But also, we have to use them. They're there for us, but if we don't play well, it doesn't matter."
As an example of the loyalty Purdue fans show, season tickets for the 2025-26 season sold out before the first game of the year. When the year concludes, Mackey Arena will have hosted 105 consecutive sellouts for men's basketball games.
The combination of Painter and fan support has helped Purdue catapult into the upper echelon of college basketball programs.
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Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.
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