How Each of Purdue's Last 5 Football Coaches Performed in Their 1st Season

Barry Odom is entering his first year as the head coach at Purdue, charged with turning around a program that is coming off one of the worst seasons in program history. After a 1-11 campaign in 2024 and almost an entirely new roster in West Lafayette, there's some concern that Year 1 for Odom won't produce many wins.

It's a fair criticism, as there are a lot of question marks surrounding the Boilermakers this offseason. But Odom brings prior head coaching experience to the job and is determined to get the program back to its winning ways, and quickly.

Purdue kicks off its season on Saturday, Aug. 30 at Ross-Ade Stadium against Ball State. Before that, though, why not take a look at how Odom's predecessors at Purdue performed in their first season in West Lafayette.

There's some good, some bad and some atrocious first years the last five coaches — Ryan Walters, Jeff Brohm, Darrell Hazell, Danny Hope, and Joe Tiller — have experienced.

Ryan Walters

First season: 2023
Year 1 record: 4-8 (3-6 in Big Ten)
First game at Purdue: 39-35 loss to Fresno State
Time at Purdue: 2023-24
Overall record at Purdue: 5-19 (3-15 in Big Ten)

Walters took over a team that finished the 2022 campaign with an 8-6 record, reaching the Big Ten Championship Game for the first time in program history. The Boilermakers dropped their opener to Fresno State, but proceeded to beat Virginia Tech on the road. Although Purdue won just four games under Walters in Year 1, the Boilermakers were competitive in multiple games and provided signs of life, especially with a season-ending win over Indiana to retain the Old Oaken Bucket.

There was some optimism entering Walters' second year, but that excitement evaporated quickly, though, as the Boilers suffered numerous blowout losses in 2024, leading to Walters' termination after just two seasons.

Jeff Brohm

First season: 2017
Year 1 record: 7-6 (4-5 in Big Ten)
First game at Purdue: 35-28 loss to Louisville
Time at Purdue: 2017-22
Overall record at Purdue: 36-34 (26-25 in Big Ten)

When Brohm arrived in West Lafayette, Purdue had won just nine games in the prior four seasons. So, even though he was an up-and-coming coach with an offensive mindset, there was a belief that it would take some time to get things rolling. But Brohm proved his coaching chops right from the jump, taking a Louisville team led by Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson down to the wire in Indianapolis to start the 2017 campaign.

Purdue enjoyed some great wins and some heartbreaking losses, but it did enough to reach bowl eligibility by closing the regular season with a 6-6 record. Four of Purdue's six losses were by eight points or fewer and the Boilers capped the 2017 season with a win over Arizona in the Foster Farms Bowl.

That success in Year 1 set the tone for Brohm in West Lafayette, as he guided the program to several upset wins, four bowl appearances and a Big Ten West title (2022).

Darrell Hazell

First season: 2013
Year 1 record: 1-11 (0-8 in Big Ten)
First game at Purdue: 42-7 loss to Cincinnati
Time at Purdue: 2013-16 (fired mid-season)
Overall record at Purdue: 9-33 (3-24 in Big Ten)

The Hazell era couldn't have gotten off to a worse start. In Hazell's first year leading the program, Purdue finished with just one victory, a 20-14 win over Indiana State. The writing was one the wall from Game 1, as the Boilers suffered a blowout loss on the road to Cincinnati. Things never really got much better, with nine of Purdue's 11 losses decided by 14 points or more. The two closest games that year? A 31-24 loss to Notre Dame and a 20-16 defeat at the hands of Illinois.

Hazell was never able to gain much traction during his time in West Lafayette, winning just three Big Ten games across four years. Ultimately, athletic director Mike Bobinski made the decision to move on from Hazell midway through the 2016 campaign.

Danny Hope

First season: 2009
Year 1 record: 5-7 (4-4 in Big Ten)
First game at Purdue: 52-31 win over Toledo
Time at Purdue: 2009-12
Overall record at Purdue: 22-27 (13-19 in Big Ten)

You never want to be the coach who follows a legend, but that's the task Hope was charged with when he took over in 2009. He replaced Joe Tiller, who had elevated the program to new heights and created a football atmosphere in West Lafayette. Hope got off to a good start with a 52-31 win over Toledo, but things quickly spiraled.

Purdue endured a string of close losses, dropping five straight games to Oregon, Northern Illinois, Notre Dame, Northwestern, and Minnesota, four of which were by a touchdown or less. The Boilermakers bounced back in a big way, though, upsetting No. 7 Ohio State and later defeating Michigan in Ann Arbor. Purdue would win four of their final six games — including a victory over Indiana —but it wasn't enough for bowl eligibility.

Hope's first year was a roller coaster, which somewhat explains his four-year run at Purdue. The Boilers were bowl eligible in 2011 and 2012 and owned a 3-1 record vs. Indiana, but it wasn't enough for Hope to keep his job.

Joe Tiller

First season: 1997
Year 1 record: 9-3 (6-2 in Big Ten)
First game at Purdue: 36-22 loss to Toledo
Time at Purdue: 1997-2008
Overall record at Purdue: 87-62 (53-43 in Big Ten)

Purdue was ready to put the Jim Colletto era in the rearview mirror when Tiller was named the next head coach at Purdue in 1997. Things didn't start off great, though. The Boilermakers lost a 36-22 game to Toledo on the road, leading many to believe the team was in store for a long season. Everything changed a week later when Purdue upset No. 12 Notre Dame 28-17 at Ross-Ade Stadium. That victory sparked a six-game winning streak, getting to bowl eligibility before the calendar flipped to November.

The Boilers concluded that season with a 9-3 record, which included wins over Notre Dame, Wisconsin, Michigan State, and Indiana. Purdue played in its first bowl game in nearly two decades, defeating Oklahoma State in the Alamo Bowl.

Tiller's first season in West Lafayette was the start of the revitalization of Purdue football. Under Tiller, the Boilermakers went to eight straight bowl games (1997-2004) and 10 in 12 seasons. Purdue also finished ranked in the Associated Press top 25 five times in that span.

Ryan Walters

Jeff Brohm

Darrell Hazell

Danny Hope

Joe Tiller

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