Purdue Basketball Announces Staff Changes, Updates for 2026-27 Season
In this story:
The coaching staff in West Lafayette will look a little different for the 2026-27 college basketball season. On Tuesday, Purdue announced some changes to Matt Painter's staff for next year.
Assistant coach P.J. Thompson has been promoted to associate head coach as he enters his sixth season on Painter's staff. He has been tabbed as the team's "offensive coordinator" and has been responsible for a lot of Purdue's success on that end of the floor.
The Boilermakers finished the 2025-26 season with the highest-rated offensive efficiency numbers in the history of KenPom.
“P.J. is one of the brightest young coaches in all of college basketball and he has had a very impressive start to his coaching career,” Painter said in a statement. “He has helped transform our offense into the best offense in the country and he has made a major impact in our recruiting efforts. We are excited that he will continue to gain valuable experience here at Purdue and be a fixture in our program for the foreseeable future.”
Like many on Purdue's staff, Thompson is a former player for the Boilermakers. He suited up for Painter from 2014 through 2018 and played in 137 games. He averaged 5.9 points and 2.1 assists for his career.
Kenneth Lowe returns to Purdue
In another big move, Purdue is welcoming Kenneth Lowe back to the program as an assistant coach. Lowe played for the Boilermakers under Gene Keady in the 2000s. He was a two-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year (2003 and 2004) during his time in West Lafayette.
Lowe will replace assistant coach Terry Johnson, who "left Purdue for other professional opportunities." Johnson was one of Purdue's two defensive-minded coaches, along with Paul Lusk.
Lowe just completed his fourth season as an assistant coach at St. Thomas (Minn.) and was an assistant at Miami (Ohio) under former Boilermaker assistant Jack Owens. Lowe also worked at Purdue under Painter from 2014 through 2017.
Lance Jones, Sterling Carter working as graduate assistants
Finally, Painter is adding former Purdue guards Lance Jones (2023-24) and Sterling Carter (2013-14) as graduate assistants for the 2026-27 college basketball season. Both spent just one year in West Lafayette as players.
Jones was a member of Purdue's 2023-24 squad that won a Big Ten championship and reached the Final Four for the first time since 1980. He averaged 11.7 points per game in his lone season with the Boilermakers.
Carter suited up for the Boilers for the 2013-14 season and averaged 4.8 points per contest. He was injured that year, cutting his playing career short.
"Both Lance and Sterling played big parts in our program in the one year they played here," Painter said. "We are excited to bring them back."
Purdue finished the 2025-26 season with a 30-9 record, winning the Big Ten Tournament and making a run to the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Tournament.
Get top Boilermakers stories, expert analysis, and can't-miss moments straight to your inbox for free by signing up for the Purdue Boilermakers on SI newsletter!
Add us as a preferred source on Google
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.
Follow SchutteDustin