Purdue hired Ryan Walters to keep a promising program near the top of the Big Ten Conference.
Two years later, the Boilermakers have sunk to unprecedented depths — and Walters is out of a job.
Athletic director Mike Bobinski fired the first-time head coach on Sunday, following a brutal 1-11 season in which the Boilermakers made all the wrong kinds of history.
They lost their final 11 games to set the school’s single season record, endured the two most lopsided losses in program history, went winless in conference play for only the third time since 1946 and failed to beat an FBS opponent for the first time since 2013 and the second time in college football’s modern era.
It was simply too much to ignore even for a program like Purdue, which rarely fires coaches this quickly and the revenue model changes next year.
“It’s a pivotal time for Purdue, and we must take the steps necessary to best position our football program for success,” Bobinski said in a statement. “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.”
The move comes a day after the Boilermakers' worst loss in the 126-game rivalry with No. 10 Indiana, 66-0. On the radio broadcast afterward, Walters called it the worst offensive performance he'd ever seen, then told reporters he had a vision for the future.
Walters replaced Jeff Brohm after Purdue’s 2022 Big Ten West Division title run, which ended with a Big Ten championship game loss to the playoff-bound Michigan Wolverines.
But things unraveled quickly for Walters.
The FBS’ sixth-youngest coach lost his first game to Fresno State, started 2-3, then lost four in a row — three by 17 or more points to start a trend that continued through his second season and ultimately sealed his fate.
While Purdue was projected to finish last in this year’s expanded 18-team Big Ten, few expected such a complete collapse — even despite a brutal schedule that included four contests against top-five teams.
“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,” Bobinski said.
It wasn’t just the losses — it was how they lost.
Purdue gave up 21 points to then-No. 18 Notre Dame in the final 2 1/2 minutes of the first half, a flurry that led to what was then the most lopsided loss in school history, 66-7. Saturday's loss was even worse as the Boilermakers suffered their third shutout, losing for the sixth time by 35 or more points while gaining just 67 total yards.
Even the competitive games went awry. Walters took risky gambles in two overtime games by playing for the win. Both failed, and at Michigan State, their second-half comeback fell short.
The fans who kept showing up for home games grew exasperated by what they saw. Walters insisted Saturday night that he could still fix things.
“I know exactly what this place needs, what holes we need to fill," Walters said. “I feel like going into Year 3, being able to attack the holes we need to fill and getting the right people in place to push forward, I feel comfortable in that plan and confident in that plan.”
How bad did things get?
When the student section at a Purdue basketball game started chanting for Walters’ firing, school administrators threatened to remove anyone caught chanting about the football coach’s job status and banning them from future games.
Behind the scenes, there was a perception of chaos, too.
Walters fired offensive coordinator Graham Harrell just 16 games into his tenure, turning over the play-calling duties to Jason Simmons, a longtime Indianapolis prep head coach who was in just his second season coaching at the college level.
When Purdue responded with a 52-6 loss at Wisconsin, Walters, who spent his entire coaching career working with college defenses, started calling the offensive plays in Week 7.
That didn’t work either.
Just keeping players on board became problematic, too.
Starting cornerback Markevious Brown left the team for personal reasons before the Wisconsin game and did not return. Purdue recruits increasingly started decommitting as the losses piled up.
“Yeah, we've gotten questions about that,” Walters said when asked if recruits were asking about his future at Purdue.
Naturally, the cries for Walters’ ouster grew into a crescendo. So Bobinski finally ended Walters’ tenure on Sunday. Purdue still owes Walters for three seasons on his original five-year deal, costing the school roughly $9.5 million.
Walters finished his career with a 5-19 mark overall, going 3-15 in league play with no bowl appearances, though he did win both of Purdue’s trophy games in 2023 — and lost both in 2024.
What’s next for the Boilermakers remains unclear.
“We will conduct a thorough search process and look forward to bringing aboard a new head coach equipped to restore Purdue football to its proud tradition of success,” Bobinski said.
Walters arrived at Purdue after spending the previous two seasons as defensive coordinator for Illinois coach Bret Bielema.
He attended his father’s alma mater, Colorado, moving from quarterback to safety and immediately began his coaching career when his playing days ended in 2008. His coaching stops included Colorado, Arizona, Oklahoma, North Texas, Memphis and Missouri.
___
Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
