Podcast Summary: This Is Purdue
Episode: Lessons in Leadership and Loyalty from Purdue Men’s Basketball
Date: October 30, 2025
Guest: P.J. Thompson, Assistant Coach, Purdue Men’s Basketball
Host: Kate Young
Episode Overview
This episode features P.J. Thompson—former Purdue basketball player and current assistant coach—discussing what sets Purdue Men’s Basketball apart: generational leadership, loyalty, family, and culture. Thompson recounts experiences as a player and coach, highlights the challenges and opportunities in today’s college athletics landscape (especially NIL), and explores how Purdue’s “people-first” approach builds lifelong commitment and sustainable success.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Leaving the Jersey in a Better Place
- P.J. describes his mantra as both player and coach:
“My goal when I was a freshman, when I left Purdue as a player, I wanted to leave the jersey in a better place than it was. Now I’m transitioning to this side. I tell the kids the same thing: leave the jersey in a better place.” (00:43)
- Focus on legacy, improvement, and the power of each generation growing the program.
2. Roots of Purdue’s Success: Leadership and Patience
- Thompson calls out institutional patience:
“Purdue was great because they were patient...Coach Paint's seen the highs, he's seen the lows, but Purdue was patient and they were graceful and gave him an opportunity to learn, to get better.” (04:18)
- Stresses value in long-term leadership—Coach Painter is a model of staying true to core values in a changing NCAA.
3. Name, Image, Likeness (NIL)—Changing the Game
- The landscape of college athletics has shifted dramatically:
“Kids are getting paid in high school...it’s different. What’s worked at Purdue is keeping the main thing the main thing; you come to Purdue because you want a great education.” (05:31)
- Despite external change, Purdue’s recruitment stays focused on intangible qualities: work ethic, love for the game, valuing education.
4. The Purdue Family & “People Business”
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Strong alumni network and familial culture:
“It’s a special place...You talk in recruiting with guys and you can’t ever forget it’s a people business. You want to be around great people.” (07:23)
- Recounts alumni coming back for weddings, alumni games, players transitioning to coaches, and open doors for those returning after transfers.
- Example: His brother transferring back for a grad degree, showing forgiveness and family.
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Stability in leadership:
“When you’ve had two head coaches in 40-something years...Purdue’s a special place and Coach Painter's continued. It’s hard to follow a Hall of Fame coach, and he’s done that.” (09:40)
5. Leadership: Lessons from Coach Painter
- Evolution from player-coach to mentor-friend:
“He’s a great dude, outside of basketball, he’s a great guy...as a coach, he's kind of more of a friend now. He's like more of a father figure.” (12:18)
- Leadership beyond X’s and O’s—prioritizing people, relationships, and life lessons.
6. Loyalty in College Sports
- How Purdue fosters loyalty:
“We do DISC personality tests. We get to know the kid inside of the kid, not necessarily the out...Are they changing high schools...? If they're leaving those guys, they're probably going to leave you when they get to college.” (14:39)
- Careful, preventive recruiting focused on character and “fit.”
- Proves loyalty is a two-way street:
“We’ve taken four transfers in five years...that’s among the lowest in college basketball. We go in the portal out of need.” (17:29)
- Individual development prioritized, transparency in promises, not just recruiting the most talented, but the right fit.
7. Team Culture & Non-Negotiables
- Education as the first pillar:
“We get back on the road at 3am, you got class at 9, like it’s your job to be in class…Doesn't matter how much money you make...You're here for education first.” (20:08)
- No empty promises; opportunity and fairness emphasized.
- Team culture is ‘set’—players adopt, not challenge, the culture:
“When you come to Purdue, we’re not going to change for you. You’re probably going to succumb to the environment and culture that’s already in place.” (20:08)
- Recruiting focuses on intangibles:
“How do they communicate? How do they receive coaching?...It’s getting to know the person.” (24:03)
8. Advice for Leaders: Sacrifice & Being Present
- Building strong cultures—advice for any field:
“Just...recruit the people. The most important team is your current team. You can’t worry about two to three years in the future…We have a special group...like I told them in our preseason meeting: be where your feet are.” (25:46)
- Leadership key: Trust & avoid micromanagement:
“As a leader, you can’t micromanage. You got to trust the people you’ve put in position to do their job. And if they’re not doing their job, you got to make changes.” (27:59)
9. Approach to High Expectations
- Handling “pressure” of highly ranked teams:
“Pressure comes with it. It's our job to win and we understand that...We're not going to snap our fingers and we're in the NCAA Tournament. It's a process.” (29:30)
- Focus on preparation, daily improvement, and “staying process based.”
10. Dreaming Bigger: Legacy, Recognition, and Making People Proud
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Final Four in Indianapolis is special but the mission doesn’t change.
“It’ll be pretty cool...if we're fortunate enough to get there, I know we're going to have a great deal of support.” (31:52)
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On what he hopes people remember:
“I just hope Paint gets the respect he deserves, to be honest...I want to do it for him personally because he changed my life and he gave me the opportunity and he didn’t have to...But also for the players because we've had so many players put on a jersey...you want to do it for them because they should feel a part of it too.” (36:18)
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Anecdote on Purdue’s global community:
“I was in Europe, man, I was playing in Denmark...I see a dad and two kids in Purdue gear and I'm like, what in the heck is going on?...That stuff you can't take for granted.” (41:58)
Notable Quotes & Moments
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On the “Purdue Way”:
“We don’t go for the most talented kids. We go for what works at Purdue. You gotta value education, family matters, you gotta love basketball.” (05:31)
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On the meaning of loyalty:
“You’re going to be a former player a lot longer than you’re going to be a player, no matter how good you are…at some point in life, everybody needs help. And so when you’re loyal to people, no matter how many points you average, it’s a people business.” (14:39)
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Advice for coaches and leaders:
“Be where your feet are.” (29:16)
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On tradition and alumni engagement:
“You don't have that turnout at the alumni game if they don't [feel part of it]." (36:18)
Timestamps for Key Segments
| Segment | Timestamp | |---------------------------------------------------|-------------| | Leaving the Jersey in a Better Place | 00:43 | | Leadership & Patience—Purdue’s Success | 04:11-05:14 | | NIL’s Impact and Staying True to Values | 05:14-07:06 | | Purdue as a Family—Alumni, Stability, Support | 07:06-09:40 | | Lessons from Coach Painter/Keady | 09:40-12:09 | | Evolving as a Leader/Coach | 12:09-14:17 | | Loyalty: Building and Proving It | 14:17-19:56 | | Team/Organization Non-Negotiables | 20:08-25:08 | | Advice for Leaders: People, Trust, Sacrifice | 25:46-29:16 | | Pressure, Preparation, and “The Process” | 29:25-31:47 | | Indianapolis Final Four & Team Excitement | 31:47-33:10 | | Legacy, Recognition, and Making People Proud | 36:14-39:04 | | PJ’s Career Aspirations & Philosophy | 39:04-41:48 | | The Purdue Community—Support Stories | 41:58-43:55 |
Language & Tone
Throughout the episode, Thompson is warm, candid, driven, and deeply loyal. The discussion is sincere and motivational, always circling back to gratitude (“thank you”), perseverance, and the core human values behind Purdue’s sustained excellence:
“Purdue is special because of the people.” (41:58)
“I want them to look back...and be like they were around great people that cared about them.” (41:16)
Summing Up
This episode is a rich exploration of what makes Purdue Men’s Basketball not just a winning program, but a model of leadership and family. P.J. Thompson illustrates through story, philosophy, and lived example how staying true to core values, investing in people, and fostering loyalty creates a powerful legacy—on the court, in the community, and beyond.
Memorable closing:
“You don’t take it for granted...Purdue is special because of the people, and so I would just say thank you.” (41:58)
Boiler Up!