How the Purdue-Indiana Rivalry Kept Matt Painter From Taking Another Job
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There was a time when Matt Painter thought about leaving Purdue. Following the 2010-11 season, the job at Missouri came open and there were conversations between the Boilermakers coach and the Mizzou brass.
Ultimately, Painter agreed to an eight-year contract extension to remain in West Lafayette through the 2018-19 season. Since that time, he's guided Purdue to four Big Ten regular season titles, a Big Ten Tournament championship, and a Final Four.
Painter was considered one of the top Big Ten coaches back then. Now, he's elevated as one of the top leaders in college basketball. Purdue knew it did the right thing by retaining Painter back then, a decision that is paying off even more now.
But what helped keep Painter in West Lafayette all these years? He told CBS's Gary Parrish on the Summer Shootaround that Purdue's biggest rival, Indiana, actually had a significant role in it.
"One of the things that jumped out to me — and it was personal and a hair selfish — was just the fact that I could never walk back into Indiana and Assembly Hall as Purdue's coach and beat them," Painter said. "That feeling — I think North Carolina would feel that way about Duke, Duke would feel that way about North Carolina, Louisville would feel that way about Kentucky.
"Anytime you have that special rivalry that we have. I wouldn't have been part of that anymore; that'll be over with. I don't want that."
Painter has enjoyed a lot of success against Indiana during his 20 years at Purdue. He owns a 22-13 record against the Hoosiers, which includes a 9-9 mark in Bloomington. From 2017-21, the Boilermakers defeated IU five straight times at Assembly Hall.
Had he taken the job at Missouri, Painter would have been involved in other rivalry games. Very few have the same appeal and intrigue as Purdue-Indiana, though.
Painter wanted better situation for Purdue
When the conversations were happening with Missouri, Painter said he really didn't have much interest in leaving for another school. However, he wanted Purdue to commit to improving the situation in West Lafayette so the Boilers could compete for championships.
"It had very little to do with another school; it was just trying to improve our situation here," Painter said. "Really have an honest assessment about the landscape and how we can get to where we are right now."
Purdue made the commitment, and Painter signed on the dotted line when he was offered an eight-year contract extension. The rest, as they say, has been history.
The alignment between Purdue's athletic programs and administration is as strong as it has been now. Painter gives a lot of credit to president Mung Chiang, athletic director Mike Bobinski, the Purdue Board of Trustees, and everyone else involved on the administrative side.
"When Missouri kept calling, that was actually good for me," he said. "It was an interesting time, but I think if you look from that moment on, you've seen a lot of improvements. Not just from our staff and how we evaluate, but how our administration has been great."
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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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