Boilermaker fans – coach Danny Hope has signed this football.

Second-year head coach Danny Hope is the epitome of the Boilermaker spirit. He is hardworking, results-oriented, enthusiastic and passionate.

Those qualities were on display every day of the 2009 season as Purdue completed a successful rebuilding year with a 5-7 overall record and 4-4 Big Ten Conference mark. Sitting with a 1-5 record in mid-October, the Boilermakers began their ascent with a thrilling 26-18 win over seventh-ranked and eventual Rose Bowl champion Ohio State at Ross-Ade Stadium. The victory snapped a 19-game losing skid to ranked opponents. Three weeks later, the Boilermakers again were riding high, defeating Michigan 38-36 for their first road victory since 2007 and their first win in Ann Arbor in 43 years. Moreover, Purdue beat Ohio State and Michigan in the same season for only the third time in school history (also 1984 and 2000). The Boilermakers capped the season with a 38-21 win at Indiana to keep possession of the Old Oaken Bucket.