Joe Tiller

Joe Tiller

Biographical details
Born	(1942-12-07)December 7, 1942 Toledo, Ohio, U.S.
Died	September 30, 2017(2017-09-30) (aged 74) Buffalo, Wyoming, U.S.
Playing career
1960–1963	Montana State
1964	Calgary Stampeders
Position(s)	Offensive tackle
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1965–1970	Montana State (OL/DL)
1971	Washington State (DL)
1972–1973	Washington State (OC/OL)
1974–1982	Calgary Stampeders (assistant)
1976	Calgary Stampeders (interim HC)
1983–1986	Purdue (AHC/DC/DL)
1987–1988	Wyoming (OC/OL)
1989–1990	Washington State (AHC/OC/OL)
1991–1996	Wyoming
1997–2008	Purdue
Head coaching record
Overall	126–92–1 (college) 2–3–1 (CFL)
Bowls	4–7
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
1 WAC (1993) 1 Big Ten (2000) 1 WAC Pacific Division (1996)
Awards
Big Ten Coach of the Year (1997)

Joseph Henry Tiller (December 7, 1942 – September 30, 2017) was an American football offensive lineman and coach. He served as the head coach of the Calgary Stampeders as an interim head coach in 1976, University of Wyoming from 1991 to 1996, and Purdue University from 1997 to 2008, with a career record of 126–92–1 (.578). Tiller played college football at Montana State from 1960 to 1963 and in the Canadian Football League (CFL) a season in 1964. Tiller was known as one of the innovators of the spread offense.

Tiller was born in Toledo, Ohio. After graduation from high school, Tiller enrolled at the Montana State University and played offensive line for the Bobcats, starting for three seasons. The Boston Patriots selected Tiller in the eighteenth round of the 1964 AFL draft. He played 1 year as an offensive lineman in the CFL, with the Calgary Stampeders in 1964.

Tiller returned to his alma mater in 1965 as the line coach at the Montana State University. After helping the Bobcats to three consecutive Big Sky championships in 1966, 1967, and 1968, he reunited with Sweeney when he became the line coach and offensive coordinator for the Washington State. Tiller then became and assistant with the Calgary Stampeders, eventually serving as the interim head coach in 1976, where he led the team to their only two wins of that season. He then spent the eight seasons as an assistant at Purdue 1983 to 1986, Wyoming 1987 to 1988, and Washington State from 1989 to 1990.

Tiller accepted the job as head football coach for the University of Wyoming Cowboys in 1991. Tiller led the team to one Western Athletic Conference (WAC) title, and a berth in the WAC Championship Game in 1996. From there, he was hired away as the Purdue University Boilermakers head coach, leading them to the first Big Ten Conference title since 1967. In 2008, he passed Jack Mollenkopf as Purdue's all-time winningest head coach.