It’s official: Jeff Brohm’s contract has been approved by Purdue.
The Board of Trustees met today at Purdue Polytechnic in Anderson, Ind., where it had a number of items on the agenda. One was the new contract agreed upon in principle between Purdue and Brohm last year after he was pursued by his alma mater, Louisville. The school announced today that Brohm's contract has been approved by the Board of Trustees.
"I want to thank (president) Mitch Daniels, (athletic director) Mike Bobinski, (board of trustees president) Mike Berghoff and the board of trustees for the commitment they have shown to our football program and the strong working relationship we have developed," Brohm said in a statement. "We think we have built a solid foundation for success over the past two seasons and look forward to continuing to strive for excellence on and off the field. Purdue University is a special place, and the support we have received from Boilermaker fans everywhere has inspired us to work even harder to achieve our goals. My family and I are extremely happy in West Lafayette, and our entire staff is excited about the great opportunities that lie ahead for Purdue football."
According to Bruce Feldman of FOX Sports/FS1 and The Athletic, Brohm is expected to receive $5.25 million per year based on his new deal, making him the third-highest paid coach in the Big Ten.
Speculation swirled at the conclusion of last season that Brohm would return to Louisville after it fired Bobby Petrino. Brohm has deep ties to the school and city—his home town and where his parents still reside. But after some angst-filled days of deliberating, Brohm opted to remain at Purdue, making it official on November 30.Today, the deal was finalized.
"During an important time in the transformation of our football program, we were presented with unique circumstances and felt compelled to demonstrate to Jeff, our fan base and the college football community our strong conviction that his continued leadership is vital to our future success," Bobinski said. "Jeff and his staff have done a remarkable job in two years of changing the culture, makeup and trajectory of our program and have boosted the spirit on campus and beyond. He lives and reflects the values we have at Purdue, and we are pleased to announce this enhancement of our mutual commitment."
Brohm opted to remain at Purdue despite a strong offer from Louisville. At the time, it was reported by outlets that Purdue would bump Brohm’s $3.8 million per-year salary to as much as $6 million, while offering additional incentives to stay. Louisville was believed to have made an offer of seven years and $35 million. Brohm's $3.8-million salary in 2018 ranked eighth in the Big Ten, according to a story on rivals.com.
This is the second time Brohm—who will turn 48 on April 24— has had his original contract re-done in his two seasons in West Lafayette.
Last April, the Board of Trustees approved a two-year contract extension for Brohm after he was courted by Tennessee—among others—following a 7-6 debut season at Purdue that included a bowl win—the program’s first since 2011. Brohm’s new contract back then was a seven-year deal worth $29 million in guaranteed income through 2024.
When Brohm was lured by Purdue from Western Kentucky after the 2016 season, he inked a six-year deal for $20 million.
Brohm has gone 13-13 overall and 9-9 in the Big Ten in two seasons at Purdue, guiding the Boilermakers to a bowl each season. He also is 2-0 vs. Indiana. The Boilermakers went 6-7 last year but finished second in the Big Ten West with a 5-4 mark.
Following the retirement of Joe Tiller after the 2008 season, Purdue posted a record of 31-67 in eight seasons from 2009-2016 with only two bowl appearances. In the four years before Brohm arrived, Purdue went 9-39 overall and 3-30 in the Big Ten, losing to Indiana four seasons in a row--which hadn't happened since 1944-47.
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