Anonymous Big Ten coach predicts things to be 'rough for a while' at Purdue

Purdue finished 2025 with a 1-11 record, which saw them fire former head coach Ryan Walters after the season. In response, the Boilermakers hired former Missouri and UNLV head coach Barry Odom to take the reigns of the program.

However, winning games may be an uphill battle for the 48-year-old head coach in his first season. One anonymous coach in the Big Ten provided an honest assessment on the Boilermakers in year one of Odom’s tenure ahead of the 2025 season.

“This is a really tough rebuild, and it’s not going to be an add-NIL, instant-win situation like Indiana was,” the coach said about the Boilermakers, via Athlon Sports. “… It’s going to be rough for a while, but they’re banking on the more experienced head coach being able to compete long-term in the league.”

The coach said that Odom will be a “steadier hand” than Ryan Walters, as he brings a lot of experience into the program and knows how to sustain it as well. If Purdue enjoys success in 2025, the coach believes fans can expect the offensive and defensive lines to move the needle for them this fall.

The former Missouri head coach went 19-8 during his two seasons with the Rebels. He led them to a Mountain West title game appearance during the 2024 season. The hire came just one week after the Boilermakers fired Walters, who went 5-19 overall during his tenure in West Lafayette. Odom’s reputation as an SEC head coach and a proven track record gives the Boilermakers an upside that they didn’t have this time last year.

However, there’s a greater issue facing Purdue this offseason, and that’s determining who’s going to play under center for them in Week 1. Malachi Singleton, Evans Chuba and Bennett Meredith are all in the mix for the starting job, but there hasn’t been an update on the battle since April.

While that’s going to be a major story in West Lafayette this summer heading into fall camp, the anonymous head coach posed a question off the field that may stifle the Boilermakers regardless of who is leading the program. Often being compared to Indiana in the past — the Hoosiers have seemingly left them behind and is sees itself as a College Football Playoff contender moving forward.

“How do they respond to what Indiana’s doing with NIL?” they asked. “That’s the bigger question than anything on the field.”