Blaine Bennett Profile

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Blaine Bennett

Position:
Quarterbacks

Blaine Bennett is in his fifth season as quarterbacks coach. He was named to the position March 5, 2001. He also oversees the Boilermakers' walkon program and summer camps.

Over the last four years, Bennett spearheaded the development of Kyle Orton, who finished his career ranked second in Purdue history with 9,653 yards of total offense and third with 9,337 passing yards and 63 passing touchdowns. Orton was selected by the Chicago Bears in the fourth round of the 2005 National Football League Draft. Bennett also has brought along multi-talented Brandon Kirsch, who will take over as the Boilermakers' signal-caller in 2005.

Bennett came to Purdue from Western Oregon in Monmouth, Ore., where he served as head coach from 1995 to 2000. He also coached the quarterbacks while leading the Wolves to a six-year record of 27-32.

Western Oregon won the 1997 Columbia Football Association championship and earned a berth in the NAIA Tournament, while Bennett was named the CFA Coach of the Year. The Wolves moved to full-fledged NCAA Division II status for the 2000 campaign and posted a 6-5 record.

Bennett was an assistant at Western Oregon from 1992 to 1994. He coached the wide receivers his first two years and then moved to quarterbacks while also assuming the role of offensive coordinator. Before that, Bennett was an assistant at Idaho in 1991, offensive coordinator at Chico State in 1990 and a graduate assistant at Washington State in 1988 and 1989. He was on the same staff with current Purdue head coach Joe Tiller at Washington State in 1989 under head coach Mike Price. Bennett was heavily involved in the recruiting of current Buffalo Bills' quarterback Drew Bledsoe.

Bennett was a collegiate quarterback at Idaho under head coach Dennis Erickson from 1983 to 1985 and then at Whitworth College in Spokane, Wash., where he played for his father, "Shorty," in 1986 and 1987. The Vandals won the 1985 Big Sky Conference championship. Bennett was third in the nation (NAIA) in passing in 1986 and still holds the CFA record for most completions in a game with 43 against Puget Sound in 1986. He earned a bachelor's degree in secondary education math in 1987 and a master's in physical education from Washington State in 1990.

Bennett (born Oct. 15, 1964) hails from Walla Walla, Wash. He and his wife, Melissa, have three children: Blaine-John, Brianne and Matthew.