'Be supportive': What Purdue coach Matt Painter thinks of Indiana basketball job, fans

‘Be supportive’: What Purdue coach Matt Painter thinks of Indiana basketball job, fans

Posted by author February 23, 2025 Basketball

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Purdue coach Matt Painter had a passionate response when asked about the Indiana basketball coaching job and Hoosiers fans.

BLOOMINGTON — Matt Painter will be the Purdue basketball coach until he no longer wants to be.

But more than a decade before, Painter endured back-to-back losing seasons in 2012-13 and ’13-14.

During that turmoil, the Boilermakers backed Painter and benefited with long-term results. Now Painter is asking IU fans to do the same with whoever becomes the next Indiana basketball coach.

“A fan base isn’t the people that tweet,” Painter said, referring to negativity on social media about Indiana’s basketball program. “A fan base is the people that when you’re bleeding, they support you. They jump on and off things (at Indiana) way too much.

“Support your coach, man. Support your players. Don’t tweet negative things about them. Be supportive. See how that works for you.”

Indiana coach Mike Woodson will step down at the end of this season. The Hoosiers’ next hire will be the seventh Indiana coach during Painter’s tenure as Purdue’s coach, including interim coach Dan Dakich for seven games in 2008, along with Mike Davis, Kelvin Sampson, Tom Crean, Archie Miller and Woodson.

Painter continued to cite social media site X (formerly Twitter) and the unrealistic expectations some Indiana fans place on players.

“But they build them up and they overdo things. Quit overdoing (stuff),” Painter said. “Just accurately talk about what is actually happening. Don’t get recruits and (think) that’s Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. Then they come out here, well they’re not Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. They’re good college players.

“They build it up and they’re (like) what’s wrong. Well they’re part of it.”

Painter, a Muncie native whose spent most of his life living in Indiana, grew up in the era where the Hoosiers were competing for and winning national championships under Bob Knight.

“Support (Indiana athletics director) Scott Dolson and support the new coach and support the staff, but also, kind of be grounded with everything and I think they’ll be able to have some success,” Painter said.

Sam King covers sports for the Journal & Courier. Email him at sking@jconline.com and follow him on X and Instagram @samueltking.