Tristan McIntyre completed his sixth season on the Purdue coaching staff in 2016. After serving as a volunteer assistant in his first season, he was hired on full time as the pitching coach in September 2011. He also helps organize the team's youth camps and assists with recruiting.
No stranger to the Boilermaker baseball program, McIntyre was a three year letter winner for the Boilermakers as a pitcher from 2003-2008. He was twice named Academic All-Big Ten. He graduated in 2008 with a degree in history. McIntyre coached nine Boilermakers that went on to sign professional contracts. Nick Wittgren made it to the big leagues in 2016 after breaking the Purdue all-time saves record in just two seasons (2011-12) as the team's closer. Lance Breedlove, Blake Mascarello, Brad Schreiber, Robert Ramer, Jordan Minch, Matt Frawley, Kyle Johnson and Shane Bryant also earned the opportunity to pitch at the next level.
During Purdue's 2012 Big Ten championship season, McIntyre coached a pitching staff that posted school records in ERA (3.16), innings, fewest walks per nine innings and WHIP. The Boilers led the Big Ten in ERA and issued the fewest number of walks in the league. Individually, All-Big Ten honorees Joe Haase (wins), Mascarello (ERA) and Wittgren (saves) each led the league in a notable pitching category. Purdue went 15-1 in Haase's 16 starts, the senior winning a program-record 11 games to become the team's first Big Ten Pitcher of the Year. Wittgren and Breedlove were among Purdue's program-record seven players selected in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. Mascarello signed with the Philadelphia Phillies after the Draft. Breedlove was named Big Ten Pitcher of the Week three times. Wittgren would go on to earn 2013 Relief Pitcher of the Year honors for all of Minor League Baseball by MiLB.com.
Purdue pitchers closed out the 2016 season on a high note, working 34 scoreless innings as the Boilermakers won three of four in a home series vs. Cal State Northridge. Purdue opened the series with a streak of 24 consecutive scoreless frames, the program's longest run since March 2008. The Boilermakers won in shutout fashion three times in a four-game stretch for the first time since 1993.
The pitching staff led the way as the 2015 Boilermakers won their final five games and six of their last seven. For the season, Purdue's strikeout-to-walk ratio improved tremendously as the Boilers issued 26 fewer walks despite pitching 30 more innings than 2014. The staff's 15 strikeouts in a February win at Western Carolina were tied for the third most in program history. It was the first of seven double-figure strikeout performances.
After playing six NCAA Regional qualifiers throughout the season, including four opponents that were among the 16 Regional hosts, Purdue's strength of schedule in 2014 ranked among the Top 25 nationally for much of the year. The pitching staff posted a 2.03 ERA in the team's victories, but was rarely given much run support to work with. Matt Gibbs enjoyed a breakout season in 2014. He pitched in only three games over the first six weekends, but finished the season with a .163 batting average in Big Ten play that was the best in the league. The right-hander put together of streak of 17 consecutive scoreless innings in April. Fellow reliever Joe Eichmann allowed only 12 of 44 inherited runners to score. One year after setting a freshman record with 25 appearances, Mike Lutz became just the third pitcher in program history to appear in 30 games, leading the Big Ten through the end of the regular season.
In 2013, Minch established new Purdue freshman records for strikeouts (63), innings pitched (81 1/3) and game started (14). Minch was selected by the Chicago Cubs in the 2014 MLB Draft as a draft-eligible sophomore.
The Boilermakers began the 2012 season 14-1, won 10 consecutive games twice, posted their 20th win before April 1 for the first time, reached the 30-win mark at the earliest date (April 20) in program history and won their first Big Ten title since 1909. In its 16 games in the final year at Lambert Field, the home of the program since 1965, Purdue won three times in walk-off fashion and locked up the Big Ten title May 12 in front of a large group of program alumni.
McIntyre served as Purdue's bullpen coach in 2011. He also coached first base, threw batting practice and assisted with infield and outfield practice. Purdue's 37 overall wins in 2011 tied a program record and were the most in the Big Ten. Wittgren recorded 12 saves during his first season with the program in 2011, leading the Big Ten and finishing one shy of the program's single-season record. He went on to break the all-time record in 2012 and earned All-Big Ten honors in his two seasons at Purdue. Seven different Boilers tallied at least one save in 2011, establishing a new school record with 21 as a team. Purdue led the Big Ten in saves and strikeouts in 2011. The Boilermakers drew the most walks at the plate and issued the fewest number of free passes on the mound, with the pitching staff setting a new school record with a 2.85 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
McIntyre returned to Purdue after coaching in the Great Lakes Collegiate Summer League with the Lima Locos in 2010. Under McIntyre's direction, Locos' pitchers led the GLCSL in strikeouts (341) and were second in opponent's batting average (.258).
Before his time with the Locos, McIntyre spent two years (2008-2010) as pitching coach and recruiting coordinator at Bluffton University. Under his guidance, the Beaver pitching staff broke two school records and had two pitchers named conference pitcher of the week, including one named NCBWA Honorable Mention Pitcher of the Week. The Beavers increased their win total by four games between the 2009 and 2010 seasons, falling one game short of the school record. In addition to his coaching duties, McIntyre earned his MBA while at Bluffton.
While playing baseball at Purdue, McIntyre was also involved with numerous youth programs in the Lafayette area. In the summer of 2006, he served as pitching coach for American Legion Post 11 out of Lafayette. In the summer of 2008, McIntyre served as pitching coach for the Lafayette Colts travel baseball club who participated in the 2008 Colt World Series.
A Lafayette native, McIntyre was a member of the 2003 IHSAA 4A State Championship team at McCutcheon High School. McIntyre and his wife, Andrea, reside in West Lafayette.