Offseason of 'Soul Searching' Helped Purdue's Katie Gearlds Find Coaching Personality
In this story:
ROSEMONT, Ill. — The offseason ate away at Purdue coach Katie Gearlds. After a 10-19 season, she knew something would have to change moving forward. She would have preferred not to have to endure the pain that comes with a disappointing season, but she also believes that the learning experience helped rediscover her coaching personality.
As Purdue struggled to find wins during the 2024-25 season, Gearlds was also struggling to find confidence in herself. When the year ended, she was forced to sit in disappointment and evaluate everything.
It was torture for a coach who puts high pressure on herself to win at a high level, to get Purdue back to the NCAA Tournament, and get the Boilermakers back to the top of the Big Ten.
"There were times when I would look in the mirror and I wouldn't even recognize myself as a coach," Gearlds said. "Wanting to look in the mirror and own that I know what the hell I'm doing, I know what it's supposed to look like, and have that confidence about myself.
"A lot of soul searching, a lot of stepping back and watching film, and working on how we get better on the court. But it was more internal."
By the time practice rolled around this year, Gearlds found her coaching personality and finally started to recognize the face that was staring back at her in the mirror.
An "old-school Gene Keady" type of coach
Before she returned to Purdue in 2021, Gearlds built a juggernaut at Marian University in Indianapolis. She piled up a 227-49 record, winning a pair of NAIA Division II national championships and finishing first in the Crossroads League every year from 2015 through 2021.
During that time, Gearlds said she had an intense coaching personality, one similar to iconic basketball coaches Gene Keady and Bob Knight. That may not be her temperament off the court, but it's her identity as a coach.
"There's a lot of old-school Gene Keady in me that I haven't seen in a couple of years. I would say the girls have seen a little bit more of that," Gearlds said. "In turn, I feel like I'm a lot more confident as a coach.
"It's more of who I am, and it's completely different than me as a player," Gearlds said. "I didn't really have that in me as a player. Somehow, as a coach, it came out. At Marian, my athletic director, Steve Downing, played for Bob Knight. He would literally come in, sit down, and see me screaming, and he'd start laughing."
What does it mean to have an "old-school Gene Keady" coaching mentality? Probably exactly what you think. Gearlds said practices are more intense now. The volume in her voice might be a little louder than it has been in previous seasons at Purdue.
But her style is also creates a strong culture of accountability.
"A lot more yelling, if I had a jacket on, I'd probably rip it off and throw it," Gearlds said, laughing. "A lot more intense, a lot more demanding, not letting things slide. I know it's a different generation that we coach, but I think the type of kids that we recruited are craving a little more discipline, a little more structure. I think that's where I can excel the most."
Gearlds isn't taking all the credit for her rejuvenated approach to coaching. She also credited Purdue athletic director Mike Bobinski for allowing her to be herself. While players may be on the receiving end of some of those yelling fits, she's also thankful to have a group of players in West Lafayette who are coachable and respond to her unique style.
"Our kids, they've accepted it," she said. "They tell me that I don't crash out all the time, and most of the time they're valid crash outs."
As Purdue enters the 2025-26 season, Gearlds has more confidence, both in herself and in her squad. She's talked about improved post play and better depth on the interior, more efficient three-point shooting, and a better understanding on the defensive end.
How many wins will that result in for the Boilermakers? Gearlds isn't going to put a number on it. What she does want from her team, though, is to be the toughest team in the Big Ten every single night.
"I think the biggest thing for us is just trying to be hard to beat," Gearlds said. "Making sure, no matter what happens, if the other team does beat us, they have to work their tail off to do it."
Related stories on Purdue women's basketball
PURDUE WBB AHEAD OF SCHEDULE: Coach Katie Gearlds says Purdue's new 2025-26 roster is full of "high IQ" individuals, putting the Boilermakers "ahead of schedule" for the upcoming season. CLICK HERE
PURDUE TRANSFER GUARD OUT WITH INJURY: One of Purdue's 10 new faces will be sidelined for "some time" because of injury. The Boilermakers' season opens against Fairleigh Dickinson on Monday, Nov. 3. 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