Purdue tabs Hope as Tiller's successor

Jan 11, 2008 - 10:28 PM WEST LAFAYETTE, Purdue (Ticker) -- Joe Tiller will have one more year at Purdue before giving way to Danny Hope.

Tiller will retire as Purdue's head coach after the 2008 season and will be replaced by Hope, the school announced Friday.

Hope, who was named associate head coach Friday, will be signed to a six-year contract, with the final five as head coach. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Tiller, 65, owns an 83-54 record in 11 seasons at Purdue and has coached the Boilermakers to 10 bowl appearances. He is one victory shy of tying Jack Mollenkopf for the most in school history.

The Boilermakers went 8-5 this past season, finishing seventh in the Big Ten Conference and posting a 51-48 victory over Central Michigan in the Motor City Bowl.

Tiller also spent six seasons as the head coach at Wyoming and has compiled a career record of 122-84-1. Tiller's succession plan is similar to the one Purdue used with its basketball program, when Matt Painter replaced longtime Boilermakers coach Gene Keady.

Hope, 49, spent the past five seasons as the head coach at Eastern Kentucky, compiling a 35-22 record, including a 32-8 mark in Ohio Valley Conference play.

"This is a great day for Purdue football," Tiller said. "We are excited about the 2008 season and beyond.

"Danny is the perfect choice to take over this program. He is charismatic, hardworking and has a passion for the sport of college football. He also has head-coaching experience - he understands the difference between making suggestions and making decisions. I feel very good that he will be my successor."

Hope coached Eastern Kentucky to a 9-3 record, the OVC title and a berth in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs this past season.

The 2007 OVC Coach of the Year, Hope also served as an assistant under Tiller from 1997-2001.

"It's great to be a Boilermaker again," Hope said. "I am honored and humbled to be back at a special place like Purdue University. I'm looking forward to being on Coach Tiller's staff again."