Kenneth Lowe’s Purdue men’s basketball exploits nearly led him to chase another kind of stardom.
In one of his final interviews as a Boilermaker player, he predicted he would end up either in the NBA, coaching … or in Hollywood.
“A lot of writers used to say I flopped around a little bit, acted out there on the court,” Lowe said. “To be able to do it and get paid – why not?”
He almost made the jump after college. He considered hitting up a connection in Los Angeles who worked for MTV.
“I almost did it,” Lowe said, “but then I smartened up.”
Lowe opted instead for another profession under the lights – in basketball arenas all over Europe and South America. He eventually stepped away for a different career in film, as understudy to Purdue video coordinator Nick Terruso.
That move 12 years ago led to one announced last week, with Lowe succeeding Terry Johnson on Matt Painter’s staff. The two-time Big Ten defensive player of the year built a reputation as a defensive strategist and teacher while working his way back home.
He rejoins a program in transition – and one arguably in need of a defensive rejuvenation. Lowe called it a “dream job,” then, catching himself, “a dream opportunity.”
“Being a Purdue guy, everybody loves Kenny Lowe,” said former Purdue assistant Jack Owens, now at DePaul. “The way he plays, the way he coaches – he wears it on his sleeve.”
Kenneth Lowe’s defensive spark came before Purdue basketball
Lowe stood out as a young player growing up in Gary – sometimes before practice even began.
“Seventy to 80 percent of kids, when they walk in the gym, they’re grabbing a ball,” said John Boyd, Lowe’s coach at Beckman Middle School and a Gary West assistant. “Not Lowe. Lowe was going to stand on the side, do all these different stretches.
“His preparation was what you noticed right away. It wasn’t just about playing. It was about doing things the right way, creating a routine so he could trace back to what might have went wrong. He had a method and a way he was going to go about doing things.”
Lowe credits Boyd for lighting the defensive fire inside him as he started high school. What did it matter if you score 20 points if your opponent does too? The lesson took hold at age 14 and never let go.
That dedication to the grind paid off as much as a coach as it did as a player.
Lowe was heading off to his professional career overseas as Painter rejoined the program as Gene Keady’s eventual successor in 2004. They shared one lunch prior to Lowe’s departure.
Over the final five years of his pro career, though, Lowe tried to network his way into college coaching. He left voicemails on college coaches’ office phones and worked every camp available. None of it led to that first foot in the door.
Painter told him he might be able to create a low-level position when Lowe hung up the sneakers for good. Lowe made that call in 2014 and became assistant to Terruso, the video coordinator.
“Nick’s a stud,” Lowe said. “He doesn’t need any help.”
Terruso found projects for him, though, and Lowe took on some of his own. He thought Carsen Edwards’ game resembled that of Damian Lillard, so he made a video edit of the NBA All-Star’s highlights.
Lowe also took a more informal position on the staff, building connections with the players. Owens recalled Lowe growing close with All-Big Ten center AJ Hammons, providing support and guidance for a fellow Gary native.
“There was no task too big or task too small for him during that time,” Owens said.
Kenneth Lowe paid his coaching dues on way back to Purdue
Owens was so impressed by Lowe that he brought him along as an assistant when he became head coach at Miami (Ohio). Owens structured his staff similar to what Painter had at Purdue, splitting up the offense and defensive oversight.
Lowe and another assistant, J.R. Reynolds, shared the defense. In addition, he worked with the RedHawks’ guards. Some of the team’s top players, including All-MAC selection Dae Dae Grant and Attucks grad Nike Sibande, the 2018 MAC Freshman of the Year, developed in Lowe’s workout group.
Owens said he brought Lowe’s name up to Painter multiple times over the years, saying if he needed a defensive-minded coach with Purdue ties, Lowe was ready.
“He’s a loyal guy,” Owens said. “He’s going to show up every day and put his best foot forward and work extremely hard. I can’t say enough positive things about him.”
Miami parted ways with the staff after five years. St. Thomas assistant Mike Maker called another RedHawks assistant, Jeff Rutter, to inquire about possible names for an opening on a staff coming off its first Division I season. Rutter gave him some, then called back the next day to give him one he forgot: Lowe.
The Tommies had won only 10 games in that inaugural DI season with a roster still largely built during their DIII days. With Lowe and Cam Rundles overseeing the defensive strategy, St. Thomas built itself into a 24-win team each of the past two seasons.
One of Lowe’s first assignments from coach Johnny Tauer was to change how the Tommies defended ball screens. St. Thomas improved its 3-point defense by almost 10 percentage points and win nine more games. The next season, it led the Summit League in scoring defense and cracked 20 wins for the first time.
Lowe made a schematic impact on defense, but also tried to make a personal one.
“A lot of times players want to make excuses for not being quick, not being the strongest,” Lowe said. “It doesn’t matter. Figure it out. Be the toughest guy. Beat them to the spot if you’re not the quickest person. Have the quickest first step.”
How Kenneth Lowe can impact Purdue basketball immediately
As of Monday afternoon, Lowe had yet to watch any Boilermakers play in person. He knows the broad strokes, though, of what he’ll encounter in his first season.
He knows, for instance, C.J. Cox and Gicarri Harris built a defensive reputation over the course of their first two seasons. Those two seasons, though, also fell short of where the team expected to be defensively. On-floor communication remained an ongoing issue.
Lowe sounded like someone ready to address that problem.
“I always said if you really care about your team and want to win, you know how to talk,” Lowe said. “No one would ever say Kenny is a loud person. But on the court I’m always talking, because I wanted to win.”
The last time Lowe had a staff spot at Purdue, the program was climbing back from back-to-back losing seasons and a last-place finish in the Big Ten. Now they’ve reached the Elite Eight twice in three years, including 2024’s national runner-up season. The Boilermakers ascended to a different level than he’s previously experienced as a coach or player.
Boyd did not necessarily expect that sixth-grader with a high basketball IQ to turn into a coach. That was simply the natural progression of a “basketball lifer” who wanted to stay around the game.
He does expect Lowe to instill his brand of basketball into his new team.
“He’ll teach kids to be tenacious and really get into players – get into the schemes of how they play together and shut down an opponent and frustrate them,” Boyd said. “If you watch film of Lowe, that’s how he played defense.”
Lowe said he merely wants to “star in my role.” That prediction he made over 20 years ago on his way out of Mackey Arena can still come true.
Nathan Baird and Sam King have the best Purdue sports coverage, and sign up for IndyStar’s Boilermakers newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Journey back to Purdue basketball as defensive-minded coach shows what Kenneth Lowe brings
Reporting by Nathan Baird, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
