Purdue Coach Matt Painter's All-Time NCAA Tournament Record and Best Finishes
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When it comes to making the NCAA Tournament, Matt Painter has been as consistent as anyone in the country. Across 22 seasons as a head coach at the Division I level, Painter has guided two teams — Purdue and Southern Illinois — to 18 March Madness appearances.
Most of Painter's success has come in West Lafayette, coaching the Boilermakers for 21 years and guiding the program to the NCAA Tournament 17 times. With their inclusion in the tournament this season, they have earned a spot in the March Madness field in 11 consecutive seasons.
Under Painter, Purdue has been one of the most consistent programs in college basketball, a team that regularly punches its ticket to the NCAA Tournament.
18 NCAA Tournament appearances in 22 years
Painter's success in reaching the NCAA Tournament dates back to his first year as a head coach, leading Southern Illinois to the Big Dance at the end of the 2003-04 season. The Salukis were 25-5 that season and earned a spot in the March Madness field, though they were defeated in the first round.
When Painter took over at Purdue for the 2005-06 season, the Boilermakers were at the bottom of the Big Ten. It quickly changed, though, getting the program into the NCAA Tournament in each of his next six seasons.
Purdue then had a two-year absence before finally making the field again at the conclusion of the 2014-15 campaign. The Boilermakers have been included in March Madness every year since, excluding the 2019-20 tournament, which was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
For his career, Painter owns a 24-17 record in the NCAA Tournament. He is 24-16 at Purdue and 0-1 at Southern Illinois.
Nine straight seasons as a top-four seed
Purdue has consistently put itself in a good position to make extended runs in the NCAA Tournament. The Boilermakers have been a top-four seed in each of the last nine tournaments, the longest active streak in college basketball.
No other team in college basketball has been a top-four seed in March Madness for more than five seasons. Arizona has earned a top-four seed each of the last five years, and Alabama and Houston have received those high seeds in four consecutive tournaments, per CobraStats.
Not only do Painter's teams make the NCAA Tournament, they regularly earn a high seed in the field.
Purdue returns to the Final Four in 2024
Purdue's 2024 run to the Final Four was the most fulfilling of Painter's tenure in West Lafayette. After coming so close so many times, Painter guided the program back to college basketball's pinnacle event.
Led by two-time National Player of the Year Zach Edey, seniors Mason Gillis and Lance Jones, and a sophomore trio of Braden Smith, Fletcher Loyer and Trey Kaufman-Renn, Purdue finally ended a 44-year drought. The Boilermakers reached the Final Four for the first time since 1980 and made its first National Championship Game appearance since 1969.
The thrilling 72-66 win over Tennessee in the Elite Eight is one of the most memorable games in program history. Plus, Painter's emotional postgame radio interview with former Purdue star Robbie Hummel was an indication of the significance of the moment.
Purdue came up short in the title game, falling 75-60 to UConn. Still, it was the most memorable run Painter and the Boilermakers have had in two decades.
The 2019 Elite Eight run
Purdue's 2019 run in the NCAA Tournament is one that fans remember both fondly and disappointedly. Star guard Carsen Edwards had one of the most memorable performances in tournament history, scoring 139 points in four games, including a pair of 42-point performances.
However, the Boilermakers were defeated by Virginia in overtime in a heartbreaker. So many could taste the Final Four, but a ridiculous basket by Mamadi Diakite to force overtime and a late turnover ended Purdue's season in Louisville.
Still, the 2019 season marked the first time Painter's team had reached the Elite Eight, and there were several thrilling performances to get to that point.
Eight trips to the Sweet 16
Painter's consistency has been mentioned a few times already, but this is another example of it. In 17 NCAA Tournament appearances, his teams have reached the Sweet 16 eight times. In other words, of the 16 March Madness trips the Boilermakers have made, they reach the second weekend 50% of the time.
It's an impressive accomplishment for any coach. Regularly getting to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament isn't an easy thing to achieve. Purdue reached the Sweet 16 in 2009, 2010, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2024 and 2025.
Can the Boilermakers add another trip this season?
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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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