Losing a football game in a blowout fashion is never a good thing, but losing to a rival in a blowout game is even worse. That’s exactly what happened with the Purdue vs. Indiana game on Saturday, December 1. The Boilermakers got totally blown out and shut down, and now, head coach Ryan Walters is paying the price.
Big Ten Coach Gets Let Go
The Boilermakers announced Sunday that the team’s head football coach had been let go after the big loss. Walters was with Purdue in West Lafayette for two seasons.
So, did he deserve it? Not necessarily, but that’s the nature of the beast in football. If there isn’t a quick turnaround, your days are often numbered. It’s not necessarily Walters’ fault that his two seasons went south, but there isn’t much time in football, and fans get impatient, so it was time to move on.
Athletic director Mike Bobinski stated the following, in part, when announcing the decision to fire Walters:
“After an ongoing assessment, and in consultation with President Mung Chiang and the University’s Board of Trustees, I have made the decision that a change in the leadership of our football program is necessary,” athletic director Mike Bobinski said in a statement. “As college athletics enters an entirely new era in 2025, it’s a pivotal time for Purdue, and we must take the steps necessary to best position our football program for success.”
He added, “We are determined to provide the University and our incredibly loyal fans football performance that reflects the excellence of Purdue and is worthy of their continued support. This was a truly difficult decision, as head coach Ryan Walters continued to lead the Boilermakers with integrity, resilience and poise in the face of considerable challenges.”
The Future of Purdue Football
As for the future, Pete Thamel of ESPN noted in a December 1 feature that the Purdue and Big Ten job could appeal to a certain kind of coach.
“The attraction of the Purdue job will be that it’s on the right side of the realignment river in the Big Ten, as Purdue’s investment moving forward when the expected revenue share becomes a reality in 2025 will be a big question that looms over the coaching search,” Thamel stated.
“Purdue has a long history of hiring coaches with offensive flair, from Jeff Brohm to Joe Tiller,” he added. “And there’s an expectation that it will attempt to rekindle that wide-open identity.”
Tom Fornelli of CBS Sports notes that this isn’t a big shock at all. Even without the massive loss to Indiana, Walters was probably set to go.
“All in all, it’s not a surprise this happened,” Fornelli stated. “Before the season began, the Boilermakers lost their best player on both sides of the ball in 2024 to the transfer portal. Wide receiver Deion Burks left for Oklahoma while edge rusher Nic Scourton transferred to Texas A&M.”
Fornelli added, “It’s a sign that Walters didn’t have the financial support necessary in the current landscape of college football to compete at the level Purdue hopes to compete at. It’ll be interesting to see how Purdue handles that as they look to find a capable replacement this offseason.”