Mel Mills is in his first season as director of player development. He was hired Aug. 4, 2021.
Mills comes to Purdue after two seasons as the assistant head coach and academics coordinator at Kentucky Wesleyan College. His duties with the Panthers included coaching the defensive line, recruiting, monitoring the team's academic progress and helping to oversee the conduct and image of the student-athletes.
A former college teammate of Jeff Brohm at Louisville, Mills has worked in a variety of roles at a number of football programs. He spent five seasons (2014-18) as the defensive line coach at Franklin College, the last three as defensive coordinator. Prior to that, Mills gained experience as a head coach at Division III Becker College, as well as working on the staff of NFL Europe's Cologne Centurions, and collegiately at Louisville, Oklahoma and as Florida Atlantic's defensive line coach for four seasons (2000-03).
Mills comes to Purdue after two seasons as the assistant head coach and academics coordinator at Kentucky Wesleyan College. His duties with the Panthers included coaching the defensive line, recruiting, monitoring the team's academic progress and helping to oversee the conduct and image of the student-athletes.
A former college teammate of Jeff Brohm at Louisville, Mills has worked in a variety of roles at a number of football programs. He spent five seasons (2014-18) as the defensive line coach at Franklin College, the last three as defensive coordinator. Prior to that, Mills gained experience as a head coach at Division III Becker College, as well as working on the staff of NFL Europe's Cologne Centurions, and collegiately at Louisville, Oklahoma and as Florida Atlantic's defensive line coach for four seasons (2000-03).