Deadline of noon Wednesday looms for Purdue bball coach
by MizzMatt - 3/29/11
Matt Painter has a little more than 17 hours to make a decision. At least, according to Mike Alden, that's how much time he has. Alden reportedly visited with Painter while he was vacationing in Florida to discuss the possibility of him coaching in Columbia instead of West Lafayette. Now, with that deadline drawing near, reports are coming out of Indiana that Purdue is willing to offer Painter a $2.3 mil/yr contract to get him to stay. I find this rather odd.
Prior to the talks, Painter was making $1.3 mil/yr base salary as a Boilermaker. He kept asking PU for more money for him and his assistants, but no money was ever allocated. He kept requesting an upgrade in facilities. Again, his pleas went unanswered. Now that Mizzou has shown a high vested interest in Painter, Purdue is suddenly interested in paying him more. MU has reportedly offered him a 7-year, $14 mil contract, and has made him Mizzou's Most Wanted as it were. MU has a new state of the art training facility- the Missouri Athletic Training Center, as well as a relatively new arena in Mizzou Arena (completed in 2003). With this hard interest, Purdue is reportedly making a desperate move to keep Painter, who has led the Boilermakers to 25 win seasons the past four years, as well as NCAA tournament berths and has finished no less than 2nd in the Big Ten over the last four years, by holding a rally on the PU campus. Allegedly, only a handful of people showed up to this rally.
Purdue says they're being proactive to try and keep Painter, when it is apparent they're being reactive to Mizzou's interests and offers. Which way will this turn, with this apparent new development? I guess we'll have to find out around noon tomorrow.
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