WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) ó Matt Painter, who coached at Pfeiffer early in his career, has a new, eight-year contract from Purdue that will pay him at least $2.3 million per year and assurances that the school will take other steps to keep the Boilermakers competitive.
Painter met with reporters on Thursday to end speculation that he would be taking the open coaching job at Missouri.
Painter met with Missouri athletic director Mike Alden on Tuesday morning in Orlando, Fla.. He wouldnít say whether he was officially offered the chance to replace Mike Anderson, who left for Arkansas last week after Missouri had hoped to keep him.
ěWhen you talk professionally with other people, it stays private,î Painter said. ěYou have to assess where you are, where youíre going, but through discussions of that nature, youíre listening. Talk is cheap and it comes down to action. Iím happy to be a Boilermaker.î
Several players, including forward Robbie Hummel, reached out to Painter after it became clear the coach was being courted by the Big 12ís Tigers.
ěWe were hearing all sorts of stuff,î Hummel said. ěI was concerned, but I was confused, too, because I didnít know what to believe.î
Last year, Purdue gave Painter a new contract through the 2016-17 season that included a $1.3 million base salary and up to $1 million in incentives.