Joe Tiller will always hold a special place in the heart of Purdue fans. Even though it has been 15 years since he last roamed the sidelines in West Lafayette and almost six since he passed away, he took Purdue’s program to heights that are nearly unmatched in the last half century of Purdue football. A Big Ten championship, the 2001 Rose Bowl, and the tutelage of Drew Brees are just a few of the marks he left on the program, and now Ross-Ade Stadium will have something that bears his name.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This is a fitting, and long overdue, tribute to the man who completely transformed Purdue football after 12 straight losing seasons. Coach Tiller’s 87-62 overall record in West Lafayette stands as the most wins for any coach in Purdue history, and he lead Purdue to 10 bowl games in his 12 seasons.
As with many things involving Purdue football, Brees had a role in this as well. Brees and his wife have committed matching dollars to those who support future enhancements to Ross-Ade Stadium by contributing to the Tiller Tunnel naming initiative on Purdue Day of Giving, which is Wednesday.
The tunnel is slated to be complete by Purdue’s September 2nd home opener vs. Fresno State.
