Purdue Star Zach Edey Has Been Dominating March Madness — Who Are His Parents?

Few players have had a more impressive March Madness run in 2024 than Zach Edey. The Purdue center has helped propel his team to the final stages of the NCAA tournament. As Zach's team continues to make a deep run, many want to learn more about exactly who his parents are.

Zach, who is Canadian and was born and raised in Toronto, stands at an astonishing 7’4” and weighs 300 pounds. His parents were by his side as he entered the world of sports, but many want to know whether the two of them are still together.

All indications suggest that Glen and Julia, Zach’s parents, are still together. They are both very supportive of their son and his athletic career.

Zach’s mom spends part of the year near Purdue so that she can attend her son’s games. "A lot of people look at their moms as kind of like their rocks in their life and I'm the same way," Zach explained to The Canadian Press in 2023.

Julia is a first generation Chinese-American who was one of five children. She was born and raised in the suburbs of Toronto, and she apparently comes from a working class background.

"She knows all about hard work. She knows all about working even when no one's paying attention," Zach said in an interview with CBS Sports in 2023. "My mom kind of grew up learning stuff on her own and she passed that on to me.”

Glen is also a native Canadian, and worked to ensure that his son was instilled with a strong work ethic.

Glen and Julia were also athletes in their younger years. Julia played basketball and broke the city-wide record for discus in 10th grade. Glen also played baseball, a sport that Zach also excelled in. Zach, who knew how tall he was, avoided basketball for as long as possible because he didn’t want to be “pigeon-holed.”

Julia retired from her career as a mechanical engineer when her son committed to play basketball at Purdue, and she spends part of the year near him.

“That was always kind of our deal. She had said, basically, if I get a D1 scholarship then financially, she could retire,” Zach told The Canadian Press. “That kind of was a big reason why I wanted to get one of those scholarships. It's obviously been great.”

“It meant a lot to him getting that scholarship knowing that he could help give me those options and it meant a lot to me. I was thinking, I'm not missing a second of this,” Julia added.

Julia and Glen are very supportive not only of their son, but of Purdue more generally. Julia even said that she has a callus from all the clapping she has had to do.

“It’s great to kind of have a friendly face out there," Zach said of having his mom in the crowd. “I’m in a different country. She’s in a different country. Kind of to have that steady presence is a great thing.”