Katie Gearlds Hits Coaching Milestone With Purdue's Win Over Indiana

Katie Gearlds hit a career milestone on Sunday after leading Purdue to an 80-69 victory over Indiana at Mackey Arena. The Boilermakers leader secured her 300th career victory as a head coach, though it was not something she paid attention to before or after the game.

Nya Smith scored 13 points, Madison Layden-Zay and Hila Karsh both added 12 and Avery Gordon and Kiki Smith each added nine off the bench, leading the Boilermakers to the 11-point win over Indiana.

It was the first time Gearlds had beaten Indiana as the head coach at Purdue and it was the first time the Boilermakers have won the Barn Burner Trophy since 2016. So, getting her 300th win in this game was special.

3️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ Club

Congratulations, @katiegearlds4 🚂⬆️ pic.twitter.com/dS5Cu1onh8
— Purdue Women's Basketball (@PurdueWBB) January 25, 2026

After the game, though, Gearlds said she was happy that Layden-Zay, a fifth-year senior, got the experience of beating the Hoosiers for the first time in her career.

"Mads and I talked quite a bit about neither one of us beating them, as far as her as a player and me as a coach," Gearlds said. "Watching her celebrate with The Paint Crew and then grabbing the trophy was legit one of the coolest moments I've experienced as a coach."

Gearlds began her head coaching career at Marian in 2013, where she posted a career record of 228-50 across eight seasons. She guided the program to six conference titles and two national championships at the NAIA level.

With Sunday's win over Indiana, Gearlds has now picked up 72 wins as the leader at Purdue. While it's an incredible accomplishment, she says it's not really something she's going to remember. Instead, she'll remember how her players felt after beating the Hoosiers for the first time.

"I'm going to remember Madison holding the trophy," Gearlds said. "That image is going to be etched in my brain for as long as I coach. And, even looking back on it when I'm done. That was really, really special for me."

Purdue improved to 11-9 on the season and is now 3-6 in Big Ten play. The Boilermakers return to action on Thursday, hosting No. 13 Michigan State at Mackey Arena.

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