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GOLD AND BLACK ILLUSTRATED VOLUME 28, ISSUE 2 16 Senses Of Self A s you peruse this issue, you will read about Purdue's three revenue coaches, well actually four, who have a strong sense of who they are. And if you are reading in page order, you have already read about one who knew who he was: Joe Tiller. But a part of Tiller's legacy lives on in those other three coaches who have been around for a while: Basketball's Matt Painter and Sharon Versyp and volleyball's Dave Shondell. I don't mean to exclude football coach Jeff Brohm from this list, I just haven't watched him for as long. Yet, all in- dications are he is right with the other three when lack of pretense is measured. Painter has never tried to fool anyone about who he is. He has adapted his coaching style to his talent and the way the game is played today, but all the while never has strayed too far from who he is. He loves basketball, loves coaching, but doesn't have to have attention draped on him at all times. Sometimes I wish he would be a little more out there in public, but he takes the tact that it is about his players. Painter flashes integrity, vision and skill be- hind the scenes. There is a lot to be said for putting players in the best position to be successful. That is what Painter does. After a spring and summer battling cancer, Versyp has been undoubtedly tested in many ways. Based on her com- ments to Kyle Charters in the Q&A on Page 60, she consid- ers herself lucky to have made it through, thanks in part to the support she has perceived. Accepting help from others and realizing it can't be done alone is important. There are clear indications that Versyp has adapted well, not only to her recent illness, but also to the necessary changes needed to be made in women's basketball. Her teams will play faster, are more athletic, and are hungry to get Purdue back to where it was on a national level when she first took the job. And Shondell falls right in line with the other two. He is old-school, occasionally outspoken, but when you read Charters' story on Pages 72-74, it is clear that the reason why he has been successful at Purdue is because he has let others help. He also was confident enough in his own skill level as a coach to ask for the job from athletic director Morgan Burke in 2003, when hir- ing a high school coach seemed a bit of a reach. So what does this all mean for how the three teams will fare down the road? Well, in this world where it is hard to count on much, these three give their teams a chance because of who they are, where they have been and where they are going. And that can't help but be a good thing for Purdue. Boiler Index From Publisher Alan Karpick Seasons in Mackey Arena, an anniversary that will be honored by the Boilermakers this season, including during their Big Ten opener on Dec. 3 vs. Northwestern. Consecutive victories by the Indiana in the Bucket Game, tying the most in series' history by the Hoosiers, dating back to the 1940s. Purdue will get an opportunity to break the streak during its post- Thanksgiving game in Ross-Ade Stadium on Nov. 25. Olympic Games for David Bloudia, provided he qualifies for Tokyo in 2020. On Sept. 12, the Olympic gold medalist announced his plans to train for a fourth trip, which he'll do under the guidance of Purdue diving coach Adam Soldati. By The Numbers 4 4 50 Phot os by USA Diving (Boudia); Tom Campbell (Bucket); Rich Clarkson (Mount);