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FOX Ranks Top-10 All-Time Big Ten Basketball Coaches, Includes 3 Purdue Names

FOX recently dropped a list of the all-time top-10 college basketball coaches in the Big Ten. Purdue's Gene Keady, Matt Painter and Ward Lambert were included.
Dustin Schutte|
Purdue Boilermakers head coach Matt Painter shakes hands with former Purdue coach Gene Keady
Purdue Boilermakers head coach Matt Painter shakes hands with former Purdue coach Gene Keady | Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

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Purdue Boilermakers

The Big Ten has been home to some of the best coaches in college basketball history. Purdue has had its fair share of icons over the years, and FOX recently included three former Boilermaker leaders among its top-10 all-time Big Ten basketball coaches.

With Michigan State coach Tom Izzo breaking the record for Big Ten wins — passing Indiana legend Bob Knight — FOX decided to drop a ranking of the top-10 coaches in conference history.

Knight, who won three national championships at Indiana, was ranked in the top spot with Izzo at No. 2. That should come as no surprise. But what was interesting about this list? Purdue was the only program to have three coaches included.

Gene Keady (1980-2005) was the highest-ranked Purdue coach, coming in at No. 5. He was followed by Matt Painter (2005-present) at No. 6. Ward "Piggy" Lambert (1916-17, 1918-46) rounded out the list at No. 10

Keady is the all-time winningest coach at Purdue, racking up 512 victories during his time in West Lafayette. Painter ranks second with 466 (and counting) and Lambert is third at 374.

Here's the complete top-10 list from FOX:

  1. Bob Knight, Indiana (1971-2000)
  2. Tom Izzo, Michigan State (1995-present)
  3. Branch McCracken, Indiana (1938-43, 1946-65)
  4. Fred Taylor, Ohio State (1958-76)
  5. Gene Keady, Purdue (1980-2005)
  6. Matt Painter, Purdue (2005-present)
  7. Jud Heathcote, Michigan State (1976-95)
  8. Bo Ryan, Wisconsin (2001-15)
  9. Lou Henson, Illinois (1975-96)
  10. Ward Lambert, Purdue (1916-17, 1918-46)

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Dustin Schutte
DUSTIN SCHUTTE

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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