Jeff Brohm passes on Louisville job
Jeff Brohm will not be the next head coach at his alma mater.
On Wednesday, the Boilermaker coach turned down the opportunity to become Louisville's next coach, a day after meeting with Cardinal athletic director Vince Tyra.
"This has been a very difficult and emotional decision for me and my family. We are extremely happy at Purdue and thankful for the opportunity to lead this program After intense and thorough discussion, I believe it is important to finish the building process we have begun and honor the commitment I made to our football program, players and recruits," Brohm said in a statement given to national and Louisville outlets. "While going home was very appealing to me, the timing was not ideal. I believe that remaining at Purdue is the right thing to do, and I am excited for the challenges ahead. I want to thank the University of Louisville and Vince Tyra for reaching out and expressing their interest in me. As a former Cardinal player and coach, I want nothing but the best for the University of Louisville. Under the leadership of President Bendapudi and Vince Tyra, the future is in great hands. I also want (thank) all Cardinal fans for their support"
Brohm met with Purdue athletics director Mike Bobinski in the school's football facility for approximately 30 minutes Tuesday evening but no decision had been reached or announced following that meeting. It didn't come 'til early Wednesday evening.
Brohm, 47, became the primary target of his alma mater and his native city's flagship program several weeks ago, after Louisville's firing of Bobby Petrino.
“While Jeff and I had a terrific conversation about the future of the University of Louisville football program and how he could play a role in our success, it was clear that his heart and mind were still with fulfilling his commitment to Purdue," Tyra said in a statement. "As a Cardinal alumnus, Jeff has accomplished a great deal as a player and as a coach. We wish him the best going forward except when we may meet on the field of play. We will continue our parallel path to determine the next successful leader of our football program. I'm confident in our process and making a final decision in the near term.”
His connections to Louisville run deep.
Brohm played quarterback at Louisville from 1989-93 and was an assistant coach from 2003-2008. The Brohm family, widely considered the "The First Family of Football in Louisville," has a rich history with the Cardinals football program as Jeff Brohm's father, Oscar, played quarterback there, as did his younger brother, Brian, who has spent the last two years as Purdue's quarterbacks coach. Jeff Brohm’s older brother, Greg, who has spent the last two years as the director of football operations at Purdue, played wide receiver at Louisville.
In two seasons at Purdue, Brohm has accumulated a 13-12 overall record and a 9-9 mark in Big Ten play but has also built a 2019 recruiting class ranked No. 24 in the most recent Rivals.com team rankings. The 2019 Boilermaker team is slated to return nine starters on defense and six starters on offense, including Rondale Moore, the likely Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Year.
After taking Purdue to back-to-back bowl games for the first time since 2012, Brohm will likely now get back on his recruiting travel schedule before the Boilermakers begin bowl practices next month. Purdue will learn its bowl destination Sunday evening.
