Purdue Basketball's Final Four Run Motivating for Ryan Walters, Football Program

Purdue football coach Ryan Walters is finding motivation in the success of the Boilermakers' basketball program. After the team clinched a spot in the Final Four, Walters began using it as inspiration, saying, "If basketball can do it, why can't we do it?"

Purdue football head coach Ryan Walters attends the NCAA men s basketball game between the Purdue / Alex Martin/Journal and Courier / USA

For Purdue's men's basketball team, the journey back to the Final Four was a long one. The program went through a number of highs and lows before finally making its way back to college basketball's premier event this season. Boilermakers football coach Ryan Walters hopes the success on the hardwood can be a motivating factor for his team moving forward.

Purdue's football team is currently in the middle of spring practices, completing the seventh on Tuesday. Walters was asked about the run put together by Matt Painter and the Boiler basketball team — reaching the Final Four for the first time since 1980.

Walters believes it's a great accomplishment for Purdue and should provide some inspiration for other athletic programs.

“I think the momentum is awesome (for the athletic department),” Walters said, per Gold and Black Illustrated. “It just shows you what kind of potential Purdue has from an athletic standpoint.

“From our perspective, if basketball can do it, why can’t we do it?”

Walters, 38, is entering his second season as the coach of the Boilermakers. He endured plenty of bumps and bruises through his first year, with Purdue finishing at 4-8 on the year and a 3-6 mark in Big Ten play.

But Purdue lost a ton of talent from the 2022 squad, which claimed a Big Ten West title and reached the Big Ten Championship Game for the first time in program history. Walters was inheriting a bit of a rebuilding project when he took the job in West Lafayette.

Walters and the Boilermakers were already motivated to find success on the field before the basketball team's run to the Final Four. Now, the program has a little more motivation before the start of the 2024 campaign.

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• GILLIS STILL READY TO ACHIEVE MORE: Purdue senior star Mason Gillis was emotional after the Elite Eight win over Tennessee to advance to the Final Four. But Gillis made it clear that the Boilermakers aren't satisfied with simply getting to Phoenix. CLICK HERE
• FINAL FOUR OFFICIALS ANNOUNCED: The NCAA has announced the 11 officials who will work the 2024 Final Four. Games are scheduled for Saturday, April 6 and Monday, April 8 in Phoenix. CLICK HERE