Purdue football's Ryan Walters in 'a much better place' in second go-around as head coach

INDIANAPOLIS — One year ago, Purdue football coach Ryan Walters stood in the end zone at Lucas Oil Stadium ready to embark on his first Big Ten media days .

A first-time head coach, Walters was full of optimism, inheriting a program that had played in the Big Ten Championship just a season earlier

On Tuesday, standing in the same end zone, Walters fielded questions about a program that went 4-8 the season before and was the consensus pick to finish dead last in the conference .

Still full of optimism, though.

"Usually when you've got a first-year player, they make strides going into year two," Walters said. "I definitely feel that correlates with coaching, at least in my case, being a first-year head coach a year ago and going through a season and a full offseason and headed into the start of fall camp next week.

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"I definitely feel like I am in a different place, a much better place than I was personally a year ago."

By most accounts other than win-loss record, Walters' first year shows progress.

In the way Purdue's players echo similar sentences while at the podium fielding questions Tuesday at Big Ten Media Days. In the unified way Walters has brought the team together despite a roster with 37 new faces.

"He learned how to keep us together as a team and keep us in the right spot at the right time," middle linebacker Kydran Jenkins said. "He's doing more team activities just to try to make us become closer as a team. He learned that as players, we want to be great. But we need other players to come together with us and be great."

In the way Purdue's football season ticket sales are at their highest point in nearly two decades.

In the way the Purdue athletic staff has stamped a young head coach with their stamp of approval even after a disappointing season.

"I don't necessarily think when you look at the record, it truly tells the story," deputy athletics director Tiffini Grimes said. "What he's done in that building in terms of putting together a staff of really great humans and a roster of really great humans who really care about each other and have each other's back and do not have an ego whatsoever, it has been absolutely masterful."

As Purdue athletic director Mike Bobinski does with all coaches, he met with Walters after the 4-8 season to discuss the program's future.

After that discussion, Bobinski was even more convinced he'd made the right hire than when he brought Walters to West Lafayette in December 2022.

"He's very transparent with me that he has learned a tremendous amount that first year," Bobinski said. "I love the fact that his confidence is not shaken. He believes even more so now a year in what can be accomplished here at Purdue in the football world. I love that."

Transfer portal, both coming and going. NIL fundraising. Turning in his coordinator hat for full responsibility.

Walters bluntly stated on Tuesday that any "bonehead play out there" was on him last season. But at the same time, he was juggling his first go-around as a head coach, a position he spent his entire adult life working toward.

"How am I spending my time and utilizing my expertise and my talents for the betterment of the program?" Walters inquired over his first season.

Last season is what it is, a 4-8 season Walters said he never wants to endure again.

The lessons from that season, though, catapult Purdue's future.

"Some of the things you're to tweak or fix or accomplish outside the playing field in year one, those things are up and running now," Walters said. "Different departments are operating at an efficient level and consistently.

"I feel like my time will be not as spread thin and I'll be able to dive into more of the football aspect of game planning and coaching."

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

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Purdue football's Ryan Walters in 'a much better place' in second go-around as head coach