Purdue Coach Matt Painter Can Hit New Career Milestone With Win Over Akron
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One win. That's all Purdue's Matt Painter needs to hit his next major career milestone, as he sits at 499 victories in 22 seasons as a head coach. The longtime leader of the Boilermakers will have a chance to hit that mark on Sunday, as Purdue hosts Akron.
Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET and the game will air on Big Ten Network.
Thursday night, No. 2 Purdue defeated No. 8 Alabama 87-80 to put Painter one step closer to his 500th career victory as a head coach. He has spent 21 of those seasons leading the Boilermakers and was the head coach at Southern Illinois for one year (2003-04).
Painter took over the program ahead of the 2005-06 season, following his former head coach and Purdue legend Gene Keady.
In 21 seasons at Purdue, Painter has guided the Boilermakers to five Big Ten regular season championships, two Big Ten Tournament titles, and 16 NCAA Tournament appearances. He's been named the conference's Coach of the Year five times.
Purdue has reached the Sweet 16 eight times under Painter's guidance. In 2024, the Boilermakers reached the Final Four for the first time since 1980 and played in the National Championship Game for the first time since 1969.
Earlier this year, Painter was also named the recipient of the John R. Wooden Legends of Coaching Award. He will be presented with the honor in April 2026.
This season, Purdue is off to a 3-0 start, defeating Evansville, Oakland, and No. 8 Alabama. The Boilermakers also began the year ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press' preseason poll, marking the first time in program history.
Painter also receives high alumni honor
Before Purdue's 2025-26 season tipped off, Painter was also presented with another prestigious honor, this time from the university.
Painter was awarded the Purdue Alumni Association's Distinguished Alumni Award for Meritorious Service. He joins the likes of other notable Purdue University alumni such as astronaut Neil Armstrong and former basketball coach "Red" Mackey to receive the award.
The head basketball coach was the first individual to receive the award since 1999. Armstrong and fellow astronaut Eugene Cernan, the first and last men on the moon, were the last to receive the distinguished honor.
Painter played at Purdue under Keady from 1989-1993. As a senior, he averaged 8.6 points and 4.5 assists per game.
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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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