Purdue AD Mike Bobinski Explains Decision to Move on From Ryan Walters
Purdue athletic director Mike Bobinski had no choice once Purdue's season came to an end. After a 1-11 season that included numerous blowout losses, it was time to move on from coach Ryan Walters after two years.
During his press conference with reporters, Bobinski said he had known that he was going to have to make the tough decision on Walters' future. And while he didn't pinpoint a specific performance or game, he did indicate that the program had too many negative issues to overlook.
"Obviously, the evaluation was ongoing — that's just the job, to try and look under the hood and determine whether or not the foundation is solid, determine if we see a path forward to success. That's ultimately what we want to do," Bobinski said.
"As we got down the stretch of the season — I don't know if I have a day that I can tell you — it got to the point where I no longer had the confidence that we could turn this thing around. The tidal wave of negative events and poor performances became overwhelming to the point where, I'm not sure it's fair to the program, fair to Purdue, fair to the young men in that locker room or even the coaching staff to try and fight through the circumstances."
Bobinski said that Purdue's 66-0 loss to Indiana in the Old Oaken Bucket Game had no impact on his decision to move on from Walters. But that defeat was hardly the only embarrassment on the season.
Purdue had eight losses by three scores or more:
- vs. Notre Dame: L, 66-7
- at Oregon State: L, 38-21
- vs. Nebraska: L, 28-10
- at Wisconsin: L, 52-6
- vs. Oregon: L, 35-0
- at Ohio State: L, 45-0
- vs. Penn State: L, 49-10
- at Indiana: L, 66-0
The Boilers' only win came in the season opener against Indiana State. Purdue ended the year on an 11-game losing streak, the longest active streak for any Power Four team.
Bobinski also hinted that there was negative energy mounting among fans and that he didn't want to lose momentum after receiving such great fan support.
Walters' time in West Lafayette came to an end with a 5-19 record. Now, Bobinski turns his attention to the coaching search and hopes to bring much more success back to Purdue.
Related stories on Purdue football
BOBINSKI SAYS PURDUE PREPARED TO PAY: Purdue athletic director Mike Bobinski essentially said that money will not be a factor as it searches for the next coach of its football program. CLICK HERE
PURDUE FOOTBALL COACHING SEARCH: Purdue is moving on from Ryan Walters after two years. A few names come to mind as the Boilermakers begin their coaching search, including Tyson Helton, Jon Sumrall, Jason Candle and others. CLICK HERE
PURDUE TRANSFER PORTAL TRACKER: Keeping track of Purdue football's incoming and outgoing transfers during the 2024-25 college football offseason. CLICK HERE
MBOW DECLARES FOR NFL DRAFT: Purdue offensive lineman Marcus Mbow is forgoing his final year of eligibility and has declared for the 2025 NFL Draft. He started in 32 career games. CLICK HERE
