NCAA Basketball: Ranking the 20 best head coaches from past 5 seasons
By Ryan Kay
492. . . . Matt Painter . 9. player
Coach Accomplishments the past 5 seasons
Big Ten Regular Season Champion: 2 (2017 and 2019)
Big Ten Tournament Champion: 1 (2009)
NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen: 3 (2017, 2018, 2019)
NCAA Tournament Appearances: 4 (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019)
Coaching Points Breakdown
0 points for National Championships
0 points for Final Four Appearances
40 points for Regular Season Conference Championships (Big Ten)
15 points for Conference Tournament Championships (Big Ten)
30 points for Sweet Sixteen Appearances
5 points for every season with 30 or more wins
12 points for every season with 20 or more wins
8 points for every NCAA Tournament berth
Total Coaching Points: 110
2015-2016 Season
Non-Conference Record: 12-1
Best Non-Conference Victories: Florida, at Pittsburgh, Vanderbilt, and New Mexico
Non-Conference Tournament Championship: Hall of Fame Tip-Off Classic Champions
Record versus their main rival: 0-1, lost at No. 22 Indiana in the Rivalry/Crimson and Gold Cup.
Conference Record: 12-6
Best Conference Victories: Swept Wisconsin, swept Michigan, No. 8 Michigan State, and No. 10 Maryland.
Regular Season Conference Standing: Purdue finished in a four-way tie for third place in the final Big Ten standings and earned a No. 4 seed in the Big Ten tournament.
Conference Tournament: Lost to No. 2 Michigan State in Championship game.
NCAA Tournament: As the No. 5 seed, they lost to No. 12 seed Little Rock in double overtime losing by a final score of 83–85.
Final AP poll ranking: 19
2016-2017 Season
Non-Conference Record: 11-2
Best Non-Conference Victories: Auburn, Arizona State, Utah State, and No. 21 Notre Dame
Non-Conference Tournament Championship: Cancún Challenge champions
Record versus their main rival: 2-0, defeated Indiana 69–64 and 86-75 in the Rivalry/Crimson and Gold Cup.
Conference Record: 14-4
Best Conference Victories: Swept Indiana, swept Michigan State, swept Northwestern, No. 13 Wisconsin, and at No. 17 Maryland.
Regular Season Conference Standing: Purdue finished in 1st place winning the conference regular-season title and earned a No. 1 seed in the Big Ten tournament.
Conference Tournament: Lost to Michigan in the quarterfinals.
NCAA Tournament: As the No. 4 seed, they beat No. 13 seed Vermont in the first round and defeated No. 5 seed and No. 17 ranked Iowa State in the second round. Purdue lost to No. 1 seed No. 3 ranked Kansas in the Sweet Sixteen.
Final AP poll ranking: 15
2017-2018 Season
Non-Conference Record: 11-2
Best Non-Conference Victories: at Marquette, No. 2 Arizona, No. 17 Louisville, and Butler
Non-Conference Tournament Championship: None, defeated No. 2 ranked Arizona to finish in 7th place in the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament.
Record versus their main rival: 1-0, won at Indiana in the Rivalry/Crimson and Gold Cup.
Conference Record: 15-3
Best Conference Victories: Swept Maryland, defeated Michigan twice, swept Penn State, and at Iowa.
Regular Season Conference Standing: Purdue finished tied for 2nd place and earned a No. 3 seed in the Big Ten tournament.
Conference Tournament: Lost to No. 15 ranked Michigan in the championship game.
NCAA Tournament: As the No. 2 seed, they beat No. 15 seed Cal State Fullerton in the first round and defeated No. 10 seed, Butler, in the second round. Purdue lost to No. seed No. 14 ranked Texas Tech in the Sweet Sixteen.
Final AP poll ranking: 11
2018-2019 Season
Non-Conference Record: 7-4
Best Non-Conference Victories: Davidson and Belmont
Non-Conference Tournament Championship: None, lost to No. 16 Virginia Tech in the Charleston Classic championship game.
Record versus their main rival: 2-0, defeated Indiana 70–55 and 48-46 in the Rivalry/Crimson and Gold Cup.
Conference Record: 16-4
Best Conference Victories: Swept Indiana, swept Ohio State, swept Penn State, No. 25 Iowa, at Wisconsin, and No. 6 Michigan State.
Regular Season Conference Standing: Purdue finished tied for 1st place and earned a No. 2 seed in the Big Ten tournament.
Conference Tournament: Lost to Minnesota in the quarterfinals.
NCAA Tournament: As the No. 3 seed, they beat No. 14 seed Old Dominion in the first round and defeated No. 6 seed and No. 23 ranked Villanova in the second round. Purdue beat to No. 2 seed No. 6 ranked Tennessee in the Sweet Sixteen. The Boilermakers lost to No.1 seed and No. 2 ranked Virginia in the Elite Eight.
Final AP poll ranking: 8
2019-2020 Season
Non-Conference Record: 7-4
Best Non-Conference Victories: No. 20 VCU, at Ohio, and No. 5 Virginia
Non-Conference Tournament Championship: None, lost to Florida State in the Emerald Coast Classic Championship game.
Record versus their main rival: 2-0, defeated Indiana 74-62 and 57-49 in the National Guard Governor’s Cup.
Conference Record: 9-11
Best Conference Victories: Swept Indiana, swept Iowa, swept Northwestern, and No. 8 Michigan State.
Regular Season Conference Standing: Purdue finished 10th in the Big Ten standings.