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Analysis ($): Blog | What Brohm is inheriting

Jeff Brohm had tremendous success guiding Western Kentucky to new heights.

In his three seasons as WKU’s head coach, the Hilltoppers had back-to-back seasons with at least 10 victories for the first time in program history and qualified for three bowl games. In all, Brohm’s team went 30-10 and posted eye-popping offensive numbers along the way, ranking among the nation’s top programs in scoring and passing.

But as a former professional quarterback and professional baseball player, Brohm also learned to handle failure. He did it by grinding, continuing to work and sticking together with teammates.

Both such experiences — the success and the adversity — could prove imperative in Brohm’s new gig as Purdue’s head coach.

Because Brohm is walking into what he called a "challenge" in West Lafayette.

Brohm was officially announced as Purdue's next head coach Monday after athletic director Mike Bobinski finalized a six-year agreement that’s “in the neighborhood” of $20 million with Brohm on Sunday night. Brohm replaces Darrell Hazell, who was fired midseason after the Boilermakers won only nine games in three-plus seasons.

“I think that everyone wants to see a winning product and to see progress, and I know that I'm going to make sure that myself and our players and coaches get out and we emphasize to everyone that we're going to work extremely hard and do our part and stay to the grind and be able to fight through the hard times and do whatever we can to help us win and have success,” Brohm said. “It may not happen overnight, but you’ve got to be able to battle through that.

“We’ll make sure we try to do our part as coaches and play an exciting brand of football and give our players a chance to succeed, and I think when you’re doing all those little things they have a chance to add up.”

Though Purdue’s roster returns a couple of players who earned honorable mention All-Big Ten status at the end of the season, it lost a bevy of critically important players that will be difficult to replace, considering the lack of depth in the program. That proposition of rebuilding the talent level is especially daunting considering the 2017 schedule: It opens with Brohm’s former school, powerhouse Louisville led by Heisman candidate Lamar Jackson, at Lucas Oil Stadium; opens at home against an Ohio team that advanced to the Mid-American Conference championship game; and opens Big Ten play against Jim Harbaugh’s top-10 Michigan squad.

But if any coach could have Purdue prepared for such an imposing slate, Bobinski and president Mitch Daniels think it’s Brohm.

Brohm had Bobinski’s attention early on in the search and the more digging Bobinski did, the more he liked. Though Bobinski was highly intrigued by Brohm’s offensive mind and reputation for molding quarterbacks, it was just as much what Brohm represented as a man that locked him in as Bobinski’s top choice.

Bobinski said there were “non-negotiable” characteristics he was looking for in the new coach, specifically mentioning integrity, an understanding of the academic orientation of Purdue, intelligence, a history of success and a belief in the opportunity.

Brohm checked off each category.

“(He’s) a high-integrity individual, someone who’s respected by his players, his staff and literally everyone that I spoke to, I could not find somebody to tell me anything other than the highest level of praise and respect for how this gentleman carries himself each and every day,” Bobinski said.

A critical piece to turning around Purdue’s program will be establishing a culture. Interim coach Gerad Parker tried to focus on instilling belief in players over the last six weeks, and he and Bobinski said there were strides made there. Brohm will need to continue to foster that mindset while also building an identity.

Part of that identity will be in offensive style of play, but it’ll be just as important to establish one behind the scenes.

Brohm’s says the motto will be to “play harder, player tougher and play smarter than our opponents.”

“Our players will rally around those fundamental concepts and play with intense passion and love for the football game,” Brohm said. “I think it’s important the way you play the game. I think it’s going to be important we take the field and do those three things.

“If we do that, the fans see it and people recognize it. And whether you win or lose some of those, if you’re doing those three things, they’re like, man, that team really plays now. They are playing and are flying around. They’re having fun doing it.”

They're traits Bobinski noticed simply in watching Brohm's teams play.

And they're incredibly valued by the new AD, who's hoping he hit a home run in his first major hire at Purdue.

“It’s not a passive style on either side of the ball. It’s one that we take the fight to the other team, and I think that’s the way successful football teams are," Bobinski said. "It’s not a game for the faint of heart. It’s one where you’ve got to be the aggressor. You’ve got to be a team that attacks. As I’ve watched Coach Brohm’s teams play over the years, and particularly this year as I paid lots of attention to it, that’s what I saw. I saw a team that really went after it both sides of the ball and played with great enthusiasm and didn’t take a play off. Ever.

"I think fans will recognize that. Our fans certainly will appreciate that and once the success comes along with that, it’ll be all the better. But I really believe our folks will really appreciate the way that our guys will play as we take the field in 2017.”

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