History of Matt Painter in Timeline

Matt Painter is an American college basketball coach, currently the head coach at Purdue University since 2005. Prior to Purdue, he was the head coach at Southern Illinois University for one season. Painter also played basketball at Purdue as a guard from 1989 to 1993.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

1911: Highest Win Margin Since 1911

On November 11, 2012, Matt Painter's squad opened the season beating Northern Illinois by 62 points, the program's highest win margin since 1911.

1950: Ray Eddy Became Purdue Head Coach

In 1950, Ray Eddy became the Purdue head coach.

1965: Ray Eddy's Tenure Ended

In 1965, Ray Eddy's tenure as head coach at Purdue came to an end.

August 27, 1970: Matthew Curtis Painter Born

On August 27, 1970, Matthew Curtis Painter was born. He is now an American college basketball coach and former player, currently serving as the head coach at Purdue University since 2005.

Others born on this day/year

1976: Most Big Ten wins since 1976

In 2023 the Boilermakers finished with 17 wins in conference play, the most in program history and most in Big Ten history since Indiana's 18 in 1976.

1977: Most Big Ten wins since 1977

In 2023 the senior class ended with 59 victories in Big Ten play, tied for the most for any class in Big Ten History, matching Indiana's class of 1977.

1980: First Final Four since 1980

In 2019, Purdue reached their first Elite Eight since 2000 and the Tennessee game marked their first Elite Eight since 1980, showing a significant drought in deep tournament runs for the program.

1981: Beginning of Gene Keady's tenure

In 1981, Gene Keady began his tenure at Purdue.

1985: End of Gene Keady's First Four Seasons

In 1985, the end of Gene Keady's first four seasons.

1987: Highest Preseason Ranking Since 1987-88 Season

In 2023 Purdue's number 3 preseason AP poll ranking was their highest preseason ranking since the 1987-88 season.

1989: Played at Purdue as a Guard

In 1989, Matt Painter began playing as a guard for Purdue University.

1989: Enrolled at Purdue University

In 1989, Matt Painter enrolled at Purdue University and played point guard for the Boilermakers, starting for one season.

1993: Assistant Coach at Washington & Jefferson

From 1993, Matt Painter began his coaching career as an assistant coach at Washington & Jefferson.

1993: Finished Playing at Purdue

In 1993, Matt Painter concluded his playing career at Purdue.

1993: Led Purdue in assists

In 1993, as a senior, Matt Painter led Purdue in assists and earned an honorable mention All-Big Ten Conference selection.

1993: Tied for Best Start in Program History

The 2009-10 Purdue team, coached by Matt Painter, tied the 1993-94 team for the best start in program history with a 14-0 record.

1994: Assistant Coach at Barton

From 1994, Matt Painter worked as an assistant coach at Barton College.

1994: Role in Blue Chips film

In 1994, Matt Painter had a brief role in the Nick Nolte film "Blue Chips", playing for the fictitious "Coast" squad.

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1994: 11th straight first round win

In 1994, Purdue secured its 11th straight first round win.

1995: Assistant Coach at Eastern Illinois

From 1995, Matt Painter served as an assistant coach at Eastern Illinois.

1996: Last Outright Title in 21 Years

In 2017, Purdue won their 23rd Big Ten Conference regular season championship and first outright title since 1996.

1998: Assistant Coach at Southern Illinois

From 1998, Matt Painter became an assistant coach at Southern Illinois.

2000: NIT Appearance with Southern Illinois

In 2000, Matt Painter helped lead the Southern Illinois Salukis to the NIT tournament as an assistant coach.

2000: Elite Eight Appearance

In 2019, Purdue made their first Elite Eight appearance since 2000, marking a significant milestone for the program under Matt Painter.

2001: NCAA Tournament Berth

In 2001, Matt Painter helped lead the Salukis to the NCAA tournament as an assistant coach.

2002: Missouri Valley Conference championship

In 2002, Matt Painter helped lead Southern Illinois to a Missouri Valley Conference championship.

2003: Head Coach at Southern Illinois University

In 2003, Matt Painter became the head coach at Southern Illinois University for the 2003-04 season.

2003: Head Coaching Position at SIU

In 2003, Matt Painter stepped into his first NCAA Division I head coaching position at Southern Illinois University.

2003: Featured on MTV's True Life: I Am a College Baller

In 2003, Weber's and Painter's Salukis were featured on MTV's "True Life: I Am a College Baller".

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2004: Signed with Purdue

In 2004, Matt Painter signed a six-year deal as head coach of the Purdue Boilermakers, where he would spend a year as a coach-in-waiting.

2004: Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year

In 2004, Matt Painter was named the 2003–2004 Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year.

2004: Joined Purdue as Associate Head Coach

In 2004, Matt Painter was recruited by Purdue as the replacement for retiring head coach Gene Keady and signed a six-year contract. He was named the associate head coach for the 2004–05 season.

2005: Took over as Head Coach at Purdue

At the start of the 2005–06 season, Matt Painter took over as the head coach at Purdue.

2005: Named Purdue Head Coach

In 2005, Matt Painter became the 19th head coach of the Purdue University men's basketball team.

2005: Beginning of Painter's Head Coaching Role at Purdue

In 2005, Matt Painter began his role as head coach at Purdue.

February 3, 2007: Purdue Ends Road Game Losing Streak

On February 3, 2007, Matt Painter's Purdue team ended a 29-game road losing streak by defeating Penn State at the Bryce Jordan Center.

2007: Start of Four-Year Span of Wins

From 2007 to 2010, Matt Painter coached his squad to 102 wins, marking the most wins in a four-year span in school history.

2007: Top Recruiting Class

In 2007, Matt Painter had notable recruiting success, signing one of the top five recruiting classes in the nation, all from Indiana.

November 14, 2008: Fewest Turnovers in a Game

On November 14, 2008, Matt Painter's team set the school record for fewest turnovers in a game, committing only three against Detroit.

2008: Named Big Ten Conference Coach of the Year

In 2008, Matt Painter was named the Big Ten Conference Coach of the Year.

May 7, 2009: Honorary Starter at Indianapolis 500

On May 7, 2009, Matt Painter served as the honorary starter and waved the green flag at the Indianapolis 500 qualifying round in Speedway, Indiana.

May 12, 2009: Assistant Coach for USA Basketball

On May 12, 2009, Matt Painter accepted an assistant coach position for the 2009 USA Basketball U19 World Championships team.

2009: First Conference Tournament Championship

In 2009, Matt Painter led Purdue to its first conference tournament championship in school history.

2009: Paradise Jam Tournament Championship

In 2009, Matt Painter led his Purdue team to the Paradise Jam tournament championship, defeating Bruce Pearl's #10 Tennessee. This victory contributed to a 12-0 record against non-conference opponents before entering conference play.

January 28, 2010: 100th Win as Purdue's Head Coach

On January 28, 2010, Matt Painter secured his 100th win as Purdue's head coach with a victory against Wisconsin, becoming the fourth fastest coach in Purdue history to reach this milestone.

2010: Start of Four-Year Span of Wins

From 2007 to 2010, Matt Painter coached his squad to 102 wins, marking the most wins in a four-year span in school history.

2010: Best Record and First Conference Championship

In 2017, Purdue had their best record and first conference championship since 2010, finishing the season with a 25-6 record.

March 30, 2011: Painter Rejects Missouri, Accepts New Purdue Deal

On March 30, 2011, Matt Painter was reported to be considering the head coaching position at the University of Missouri. However, Painter ultimately accepted a new eight-year deal to remain the head coach at Purdue.

2011: Big Ten Coach of the Year

In 2011, Matt Painter was named Big Ten Conference Coach of the Year for the third time in four seasons. Additionally, Purdue received its highest NCAA tournament seeding as a coach, being named a No. 3 seed in the Tournament.

2012: Unranked Start to the Season

In 2012, Matt Painter's squad began the season unranked for the first time in four seasons after losing key players to graduation and the NBA.

2013: Season After Key Player Losses

In 2013, Matt Painter began the season after losing three senior starters and other players from the previous season, leading to a raw and young squad. The team's season opener was the first time during the Painter-era that they lost.

2015: Landing Five-Star Recruit and NCAA Tournament Loss

In 2015, Matt Painter landed a five-star recruit, Caleb Swanigan, and led the team to a 26-9 overall record while maintaining an AP Top 25 ranking. However, the team fell to 12-seeded Arkansas-Little Rock in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

2015: A.J. Hammons Honored

In 2015, senior center A.J. Hammons was a finalist for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award for best center. Hammons was also selected as Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, succeeding Purdue teammate Raphael Davis.

2017: Sweet Sixteen Appearance and B1G Title Run

Coming off of a Sweet Sixteen appearance, the Purdue Boilermakers, led by seniors Vince Edwards, Isaac Haas, and others, had high expectations in 2017. However, with the departure of Caleb Swanigan, their future was uncertain.

October 2018: Marriage to Sherry

In October 2018, Matt Painter married his wife, Sherry.

2018: Second in the Conference

In 2018, after missing out on a consecutive B1G title, Purdue finished second in the conference at 15-3. They lost to Michigan 75-66 in the Big Ten tournament Championship.

2018: Loss of Isaac Haas and Sweet Sixteen Loss

In the 2018 NCAA Tournament, Purdue was seeded 2nd in the East Region. During the first round, senior center Isaac Haas broke his elbow. The Boilers advanced to the Sweet Sixteen after a win against Butler, but lost to Texas Tech, ending their season with a program-best 30 wins.

2019: Purdue's NCAA Tournament Run in 2019

In 2019, Purdue, seeded 3rd, had a strong NCAA tournament run, defeating Old Dominion, Villanova, and Tennessee to reach the Elite Eight, where they lost a close game to Virginia after overtime.

2019: Elite Eight Return

In 2024, Purdue moved on to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2019

2020: 2020 Season

In 2020, Purdue had a 16–15 overall record and finished tied for 10th in the Big Ten. Postseason play was canceled due to COVID-19.

2021: 2021 Season and NCAA Tournament Loss

In 2021, Purdue finished with an 18–10 record and lost to North Texas in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

January 13, 2023: 400th Career Win

On January 13, 2023, Matt Painter became the fifth coach in Big Ten history to achieve 400 career wins.

2023: 2023 Season Expectations and Achievements

In 2023, Purdue had high expectations, returning Zach Edey and ranking #3 in the preseason AP poll. They were the first team to be ranked number 1 in the AP Poll 3 consecutive seasons. Purdue finished with 17 conference wins and went undefeated at home.

2024: Loss in the 2024 National Championship

In 2024, Purdue lost to UConn in the National Championship game, 75-60, despite Zach Edey's 37 points and 10 rebounds.

2024: 2024 NCAA Tournament Run to the Elite Eight

In 2024, Purdue secured a #1 seed for the second consecutive year and advanced to the Elite Eight, breaking the program record for most wins in a season with 31.