Purdue’s winningest coach dies at age 74
For decades, Purdue has billed itself the “Cradle of Quarterbacks.”
No coach did more to maintain that reputation than Joe Tiller. The man who guided Drew Brees as a Boilermaker and was the school’s winningest football coach, died Saturday at age 74. He died at home of natural causes in Buffalo, Wyoming, the Harness Funeral Home said.
“Coach Tiller was an important person in my life and to so many other guys who played for him,” Brees, the New Orleans Saints star who played for Tiller from 1997 to 2000, said. “He did so much more than teach us how to win. He taught us life lessons and how to be great leaders and men.”
Tiller and Brees carried Purdue to rare heights at a school better known for basketball. Together, they led Tiller’s “basketball on grass” spread offense to the 2000 Big Ten title and 2001 Rose Bowl, where Purdue lost to Washington 34-24.
“Joe Tiller was one of the great coaches in all of Purdue history,” Purdue President Mitch Daniels said. “The next time we go to the Rose Bowl, our first thoughts will be of him, and we will miss him every day in between.”?
Tiller had an 87-62 record at Purdue from 1997 to 2008. Besides Brees, he coached two other NFL quarterbacks — Kyle Orton and Curtis Painter. They led offenses that rewrote the Big Ten’s record books. Brees is the Big Ten’s all-time leading passer, Painter is second and Orton eighth.
“It’s a fun offense to play in, and it attracts young people,” Tiller told The Associated Press in 2008. “That’s why I thought it was a matter of time before everybody ran it.”
Tiller was proud of Brees and Orton’s success in the NFL and used it to fire back at those who considered quarterbacks were system players. Brees has a Super Bowl ring and ranks third in NFL history in yards passing. Orton has 18,000 career yards and 101 touchdowns in the NFL.
Tiller’s success at Purdue came after years of struggle. In the 15 years before the school hired him, the Boilermakers had a 54-107-5 record. Purdue played in five bowl games in school history before Tiller arrived; the Boilermakers played in 10 on his watch.