Former Purdue coach Joe Tiller dies at age 74

Reporting from WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Former Purdue football coach Joe Tiller has died at age 74.

Tiller’s Boilermakers won 87 games over 12 seasons, from 1997 through 2008. That’s the most victories posted by any Purdue coach.

In a statement, Purdue said Tiller died Saturday in Buffalo, Wyoming. A cause wasn’t disclosed.

Tiller led Purdue to 10 bowl games, including the Rose Bowl at the end of the 2000 season. One of his best players was NFL quarterback Drew Brees, who says Tiller taught him and teammates “life lessons and how to be great leaders and men.”

Tiller was coach at Wyoming for six years before moving to Purdue, where he had been an assistant coach in the 1980s. He played college football at Montana State.