Despite what the recording says, this is the Sept. 1, 2025 edition of Rose Bowl Reflections with our special guest, former Purdue offensive coordinator Jim Chaney. One of the architects of Basketball on Grass, Chaney looks back at the Boilermakers’ Big Ten championship season and much more.
Chaney loved his “great ride” at Purdue
Jim Chaney’s football resume is hart to compete with. He has been with 13 football organizations (if our count is right), including three in the NFL.
Yet, his third stop, at Purdue, marked his longest tenure in any one place—nine seasons from 1997 to 2005 as the Boilermakers’ chief play caller. He came to Purdue with coach Joe Tiller after spending four years with Tiller at the University of Wyoming.
“Purdue is special because of so many reasons,” the 63-year-old Chaney said recently. When he came to West Lafayette, it wasn’t a sure thing that it would work as well as it did, as Chaney was a key cog during the eight straight bowl game streak (1997-2004). With his call-it-like-you-see-it style, he was also an excellent recruiter, embracing the role of recruiting coordinator, which helped steadily raise the level of talent in West Lafayette.
“You don’t take a job contemplating just how good you will be down the road,” Chaney said. “And then we got where we thought we could be pretty good. I think the scheduling and everything had a lot to do with that. But at the end of the day, we got a chance to represent Purdue, and it was a hell of an experience.”
It also helped that he had three outstanding quarterbacks to work with during his tenure. Billy Dicken (1997) was an All-Big Ten player, and then came Drew Brees, a three-year starter from 1998 to 2000. After that came Kyle Orton, who earned a starting role late in his freshman season (2000) and held the starting role for most of the next three years.
“And I feel so blessed to have been a part of those guys, because they’re so unique, the personalities we had on those teams,” Chaney said. I mean, my God, you think about that you had crazy a— (WR) Vinny (Sutherland), and then (a calm guy like) John Standeford. Then you had a crazy a— like (tight end) Tim Stratton and quiet guys like (tackle) Brandon Gorin.”
It was a group of strong personalities, and it matched Chaney’s vocal, sometimes raw, approach to it all. Still, Purdue fans had to wonder if Brees and Co. would get to Pasadena after the 2000 season, especially when the Boilermakers blew a 25-point lead against Georgia on Jan. 1, 2000, in the Outback Bowl and started the 2000 season with a 3-2 record.
“We were capable of playing with anybody in the country,” Chaney said. And I think there was a genuine quiet and calm about us, because Joe was never flamboyant; there was just a quiet type of confidence that we walked into the next year with. I think everybody knew we had a chance.”
One of Chaney’s memorable moments of the season came on a cold night in Ross-Ade Stadium in the Rose Bowl-clinching 28-point win over Indiana. In the second half, Chaney called the same off-tackle play on 27 straight plays, helping running back Montrell Lowe have a career-best 208-yard rushing effort.
“We just started rolling,” Chaney said. I seem to recall (future NFL standout offensive tackle) Matt (Light) flipping me off from the field or something. He wanted Chaney’s big butt to call something something else because we were running his way every time. We just kept running and running and running, and they couldn’t stop it, and the clock kept ticking, and oh man, what a sight that was.”
More: Rose Bowl Reflections: Chukky Okobi | Vinny Sutherland | A.T. Simpson | Scott Downing | Ben Smith | Craig Terrill | Akin Ayodele | Tim Stratton
Gold and Black Illustrated Archives–2000 season game stories
Game 1: No. 15 Purdue 48, Central Michigan 0
Game 2: No. 14 Purdue 45, Kent State 10
Game 3: No. 21 Notre Dame 23, No. 14 Purdue 21
Game 4: No. 21 Purdue 38, Minnesota 24
Game 5: Penn State 22, No. 22 Purdue 20
Game 6: Purdue 32, No. 6 Michigan 31
Game 7: No. 21 Purdue 41, No. 17 Northwestern 28
Game 8: No. 17 Purdue 30, Wisconsin 24 (ot)
Game 9: No. 16 Purdue 31, No. 12 Ohio State 27
Game 10: Michigan State 30, No. 9 Purdue 10
Game 11: No. 17 Purdue 41, Indiana 13
Game 12: No. 4 Washington 34, No. 14 Purdue 24