Joe Tiller, the winningest head coach in the history of the Purdue football program, has passed away at the age of 74, the school announced today.
Tiller passed away at his home in Buffalo, Wyoming.
“Today is a very sad day for me and the entire Purdue family,” said Drew Brees, who played for Tiller from 1997 to 2000. “Coach Tiller was an important person in my life and to so many other guys who played for him. He did so much more than teach us how to win. He taught us life lessons and how to be great leaders and men. My thoughts and prayers are with Arnette, Julie, Renee, and Mike.”
Tiller was the head coach of the Boilermakers from 1997 through 2008 with a record of 87-62 overall and 53-43 in Big Ten play. Tiller innovated the Purdue offense by implementing the spread and opening things up with the offensive strategies at a time what such flair was unheard of in the Big Ten. Tiller coached Purdue to the 2000 Big Ten championship and the 2001 Rose Bowl with Brees as his quarterback.
Tiller had previously coached at Purdue as an assistant coach from 1983 to 1986 under former Purdue head coach Leon Burtnett. In between stints at Purdue, Tiller held jobs as an assistant coach at Wyoming and Washington State and made his head coaching debut with Wyoming in 1991, where he coached the Cowboys for six seasons before returning to Purdue. Tiller coached Wyoming to the WAC championship in 1993 and a WAC Pacific Division title in 1996. In 1997, he was named the Big Ten’s coach of the year.
Tiller’s coaching tree includes former Purdue head coach Danny Hope, current Illinois State head coach Brock Spack and current Texas A&M head coach Kevin Sumlin.