Purdue's Matt Painter Among 15 Candidates for Naismith Coach of the Year
In this story:
Purdue coach Matt Painter is among the finalists for the Naismith Men's College Coach of the Year. He is one of 15 men's college basketball coaches named to the midseason watch list for the award.
In his 20th season at Purdue, Painter has guided the Boilermakers to a 19-8 overall record and an 11-5 mark in Big Ten play. Although they're two games out of first place in the standings, they're still in the hunt for a third consecutive Big Ten title.
Purdue returned a lot of talent from last year's squad, with Braden Smith, Fletcher Loyer and Trey Kaufman-Renn all back. However, the Boilermakers lost two-time National Player of the Year Zach Edey, Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year Mason Gillis and starting guard Lance Jones from last year's 34-5 squad that reached the National Championship Game.
Leading the Charge 🚀
— Naismith Awards (@NaismithTrophy) February 21, 2025
Introducing the Werner Ladder Naismith Men’s College Coach of the Year Watch List, presented by @AxiaTimeLLC 🏆@Werner_Safety | #WernerLadderNaismith2025 | #AXIATimeNaismith2025 pic.twitter.com/ZiTA0SJnIc
Painter has led the Boilermakers to five Big Ten regular season titles and two Big Ten Tournament championships. He's in his 20th season in West Lafayette and the Boilers are poised to reach the NCAA Tournament for a 16th time under Painter.
Last year, Painter was named the Big Ten co-Coach of the Year, sharing the honor with Nebraska's Fred Hoiberg.
Here are the 15 coaches who made the midseason watch list:
- Greg Gard, Wisconsin
- Dennis Gates, Missouri
- Todd Golden, Florida
- Penny Hardaway, Memphis
- Tom Izzo, Michigan State
- Pat Kelsey, Louisville
- Dusty May, Michigan
- Grant McCasland, Texas Tech
- Ben McCollum, Drake
- Matt Painter, Purdue
- Bruce Pearl, Auburn
- Rick Pitino, St. John's
- Richard Pitino, New Mexico
- Kelvin Sampson, Houston
- Jon Scheyer, Duke
Related stories on Purdue basketball
PURDUE SECURES BIG TEN TOURNAMENT SPOT: For the first time ever, some teams will be left out of the Big Ten Tournament. Purdue has already secured its spot in the event, along with five other teams. CLICK HERE
HOW TO WATCH PURDUE-INDIANA: Purdue and Indiana will meet at Assembly Hall for a rivalry rematch. Television and radio information, key stats, top players and more for Sunday's game. CLICK HERE
BEST BOILER MOMENTS OF IU RIVALRY: Chad Austin's game winners, Carsen Edwards and Jon Octeus throwing down big dunks, Zach Edey's only 3-pointer are just some of Purdue's best moments vs. Indiana. CLICK HERE
SMITH'S CHANCE TO BREAK ASSIST RECORD VS IU: Braden Smith needs only eight assists to become Purdue's all-time leader in the category. How likely is it that the guard gets it Sunday vs. rival Indiana. CLICK HERE
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