Coaching Perspective – Purdue

Growing up many people in the Big Ten were deadly afraid of Joe Tiller’s offense as Purdue racked up win after win in one of the best stretches of Purdue football.  The man was a hell of a coach but where does he rank on the all time list of Purdue head men?  Let’s find out.

Not In Consideration (Alphabetical Order)

Unfortunately for Purdue fans they have had 32…yes 32 coaches…that I can’t even consider for this.  I know in my previous write up for the Spartans I gave a sentence or two for each guy but no reader wants a side note for all of these coaches so I will only give details on the few that I found interesting.

• Alex Agase: 1973-1976, 18-25-1 (15-17)
• Fred Akers: 1987-1990, 12-31-1 (9-23)

Never matched his success at Texas where he went 86-31-2 (60-19-1) and won the Southwest twice.

• Knowlton “Snake” Ames: 1891-1892, 12-0 (8-0)

Ames was a part of the first ever All American team in 1889 and has an unofficial (only post 1937 records are official) 730 points and 62 touchdowns from his Princeton career as an early legend of the sport.  Later committed suicide.

• D.M. Balliet: 1893-1895, 1901, 22-10-2 (8-3-1)
  

One of the reasons for his gap in coaching is he joined the Klondike Gold Rush.  Ah the 1890s.

• Albert Berg: 1887, 0-1
• Charles Best: 1902, 7-2-1
  
• Leon Burtnett: 1982-1986, 21-34-1 (17-25-1)
• Elmer Burnham: 1942-1943, 10-8 (7-4)

Long time high school coach until his two years at Purdue.  The splits are funny going 1-8 (1-4) followed by a 9-0 (6-0) turn around thanks to Purdue training WW2 recruits, including Illinois standout Alex Agase.  Coached at Rochester for the next 16 years until retiring from the game.

• William W. Church: 1897, 5-3-1 (1-2)
• Jim Colletto: 1991-1996, 21-42-3 (12-33-3)

Much better success as an assistant after leaving PU, including picking up a Super Bowl ring on the Raven’s staff in 2000.

• Oliver Cutts: 1903-1904, 13-5 (1-4)
• Bob DeMoss: 1970-1972, 13-18 (11-12)

The Purdue lifer played at the school and was a 19 year assistant before getting the head gig.  After coaching he was assistant AD at the school until 1992.

• William Henry Dietz: 1921, 1-6 (1-4)
• Allen Elward: 1937-1941, 16-18-6 (9-12-4)
• Samuel M. Hammond: 1896, 4-2-1 (0-2-1)
• Clinton L. Hare: 1890, 3-3 (2-1)
• Darrell Hazell: 2013-present, 4-20 (1-15)
• Albert E. Herrnstein: 1905, 6-1-1 (1-1-1)
• Patrick Higgins: 2012, 0-1 – coached the bowl
• Stu Holcomb: 1947-1955, 35-42-4 (25-23-1) – Won 1952 Big Ten title
• Danny Hope: 2009-2012, 22-27 (13-19)
• Bill Horr: 1910-1912, 8-11-1 (3-9-1)
• Cecil Isbell: 1944-1946, 14-14-1 (7-10-1) – CFB HOF as a player (Purdue, QB)
• Alpha Jamison: 1898-1900, 11-11-1 (1-7)
• Cleo A. O’Donnell: 1916-1917, 5-8-1 (4-3-1)
• James Phelan: 1922-1929, 35-22-5 (14-17-4)

Won the league in 1929 with a 8-0 (5-0) record before going to Washington where he would have great success.

• George Andrew Reisner: 1889, 2-1

Noted archaeologist who would impact that field about a billion times more than he would in football.

• A.G. Scanlon: 1918-1920, 7-12-1 (1-7)
• Andy Smith: 1913-1915, 12-6-3 (6-5-2)

Went to coach Cal (1916-25) where he would win 5 conference titles, 3 national titles and go 1-0-1 in the Rose Bowl.

• Frederick A. Speik: 1908-1909, 6-8 (1-7)

Also committed suicide

• Leigh C. Turner: 1907, 0-5 (0-3)
• Myron E. Witham: 1906, 0-5 (0-3)

Resurfaced 14 years later where he coached Colorado from 1920-1931 and had two conference titles during a 17-1-1 (13-0-1) stretch.

Did Not Place (4th)

Noble Kizer: 1930-1936, 42-13-3 (26-9-3)

Never finished worse than fourth while a coach and won back to back titles in the 31 and 32 seasons compiling a 16-1-1 (10-1-1) mark in those seasons.  He was also the school’s athletic director from 1933 to 1940.  He passed away in 1940 at the age of 40.  The gifted Kizer was a member of the famed “Four Horsemen” at Notre Dame as well as a 1925 all-American basketball player for the Irish.

Bronze Medal

Jim Young: 1977-1981, 38-19-1 (26-14-1)

Young always fielded a competitive team including a stretch of three bowl games in 78-80.  They won all those games an were ranked in each of those final polls.  Those three clubs won 9 or 10 games each year, tying Young with the most 9 win seasons in Purdue coaching history and coaching the only 10-win team.  A rough season in 1981 led to his resignation to focus on administrative duties before becoming Army’s head coach with marvelous results a few years later.

Silver Medal

Joe Tiller: 1997-2008, 87-62 (54-43)

Tiller is the other coach in PU history to win 9 games three times in school history.  He also won a league title in 2000.  While his teams were consistent, he always lost 4+ games and never finished better than 6-2 in the league.  His 10 bowls is by far the most in school history but he was just 4-6 in said games.  His clubs were ranked at the end of the year 5 times but never after 2003.  A great offensive mind and a solid coach with a resume anyone would be proud to have but not the best coach in school history.

Gold Medal

Jack Mollenkopf: 1956-1969, 84-39-9 (58-32-5)

Of course the man who coached Bob Griese would reap the benefits.  In addition to the 1967 league title, Mollenkopf won the 1966 Rose Bowl, the first bowl appearance and win in school history.  His teams were ranked in the final poll 8 times, peaking at number six.  He went 11-2-1 versus Indiana and 10-4 against Notre Dame.  His teams were ranked for 80 weeks, a Purdue best including a #1 ranking for a stretch in 1968.  He boasts the most Big Ten wins and highest Big Ten winning percentage in program history.  His sustained success resulted in enshrinement to the CFB Hall of Fame in 1988.