Boilermakers Country

Purdue Athletics Hires Ken Halpin as Deputy Athletic Director

Ken Halpin joins the Purdue athletics staff after serving as the athletic director at Winthrop since 2016. Halpin received a Ph.D. in education from Washington State University in 2015 and a Master’s in sport administration from Gonzaga University in 2008.

D.J. Fezler

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue vice president and athletics director Mike Bobinski announced the hiring of Dr. Ken Halpin as deputy athletics director on Wednesday. Halpin previously served as the athletic director at Winthrop since 2016. 

Halpin will also join the Boilermakers as chief operating officer. He will primarily oversee responsibility for revenue-producing activities, strategic communications, brand enhancement, marketing and fan experience, sports medicine and performance, event operations and facilities. He will also serve as the sport administrator for the Purdue men’s basketball team.

“Our department is thrilled to welcome Ken and his family to our Purdue Athletics team,” Bobinski said in a release. “Ken is a dynamic and engaging leader who has fostered tremendous success within his previous organizations. His focus on providing a first-class student-athlete experience while prioritizing academic achievement, athletic excellence, community engagement and revenue generation are all principles that we value here at Purdue. We look forward to having Ken, his wife, Amber, and their three children, Kenny, Jonathan and Jill Marie, join us here in West Lafayette very soon.”

Halpin helped Winthrop set new records for departmental cumulative grade point average each year since 2016-17, including a record-high 3.35 GPA by the student-athlete population for the 2020-21 academic year.

“Amber and I have always said it would take something very special to pull us away from Winthrop and Rock Hill,” Halpin said in a release. “This opportunity to come to Purdue is that and more. We could not be more excited to join the West Lafayette community, and I'm deeply grateful to Mike Bobinski, President Daniels and the Purdue University Board of Trustees for allowing us to become Boilermakers. There is so much to look forward to in the future for Purdue, and we cannot wait to get started.”

Winthrop’s men’s basketball program won six championships during Halpin’s tenure in Rock Hill, South Carolina. The team won the regular-season and tournament championships in the Big South Conference in 2017, 2020 and 2021.

Numerous programs for the Eagles were competitive in their respective sports. The volleyball team won the Big South championship in the 2019-20 season with a perfect 14-0 record in the conference. 

The school's baseball, softball and lacrosse programs were also fighting for titles before their seasons were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Before his time at Winthrop, Halpin was the deputy athletic director for Eastern Washington, where he oversaw all external operations. 

Halpin received a Ph.D. in education from Washington State University in 2015 and a Master’s in sports administration from Gonzaga University in 2008. He was an adjunct professor at Gonzaga where he taught in the sport management program for seven years. 

He earned a Bachelor’s degree from Willamette University in 2005, where he was an all-conference performer in both football and baseball. Halpin is married to his wife, Amber, and the two have three children, Kenny, Jonathan and Jill Marie.

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D.J. Fezler
D.J. FEZLER

D.J. Fezler is a staff writer for BoilermakersCountry.com. Hailing from The Region, he is from Cedar Lake in Northwest Indiana and has spent the last two years covering Purdue football and basketball. 

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