Tom Reiter: 1953-2014

Tom Reiter, Purdue's associate athletic director and long-time member of the Boilermaker basketball family, passed away Friday after a battle with cancer.

He was 61.

"Tom was an inspiration to everyone associated with the Boilermakers," Purdue athletic director Morgan Burke said in a statement. "He was a confidant for our student-athletes, coaches and staff, and was always ready to offer a kind word or share his keen sense of humor. Our memories of him will fuel us moving forward. Our condolences go out to Stacie, Matt and Dan, and their entire family."

Reiter was an assistant coach at Purdue under Gene Keady from 1986-93 before becoming the head coach at Washington and Jefferson near Pittsburgh.

Reiter returned to Purdue to work in its compliance office in 2006 and has been a sport administrator since 2010, working closely with the men's basketball program the past few seasons.

Reiter was one of current Purdue coach Matt Painter's mentors in the profession, hiring him for his first coaching job at Washington and Jefferson.

"That was a great learning experience for me and we had a great team," Painter said prior to the season, reflecting on his coaching career. "We went to the elite eight of the national tournament in Division III. It was a great experience."

Reiter worked with the women's basketball program as well during his time in Purdue's athletic department.

"The passing of Tom is obviously very heart-wrenching for the Purdue family," Coach Sharon Versyp said Saturday afternoon. "He's been an incredible friend, mentor, colleague, someone who I would go talk basketball with. He just really loved being around sports and he gave back so much to young people and our team is obviously very upset. He's been our administrator now for several years and he just always wants everybody to keep moving, Boiler Up for him, play their hearts out and go after the best goals they possibly can and reach them. He was able to speak to our team in November and the kids really appreciated what he had to say and he had lofty goals for them. In general our community has really lost an incredible human being."

Reiter's survived by wife Stacie and sons Matt and Dan, each of whom graduated from Purdue.

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