Jeff Brohm has always believed in Louisville football, investing his blood, sweat, tears, energy and emotions into the program.
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Jeff Brohm has always been 'All In' on Louisville football
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Lou Holtz wanted Jeff Brohm to play quarterback at Notre Dame when playing quarterback at Notre Dame was the sexiest position in college football.
Brohm had the arm, throwing for 20 touchdown passes while leading Trinity High School to the 1988 KHSAA 4A title. He had the legs, running for another 589 yards and 12 touchdowns.
He had the academics, a 3.9 grade point average in Trinity's advanced program. He had the leadership skills to be voted senior class president.
Who says "no" to Holtz and Notre Dame? Did you ever listen to prime-time Holtz speak early in his Notre Dame career? Holtz could talk a Labrador retriever into believing it was a giraffe.
In 1988, the University of Louisville won eight of 11 games but failed to qualify for a bowl game. The Cardinals had not been to a bowl since 1977. Louisville was no Notre Dame.
In 1988, Notre Dame rolled to 12 consecutive victories and beat West Virginia in the Fiesta Bowl to win the national title. At Notre Dame, you could count on a bowl game and an appearance on the cover of Sports Illustrated.
Who says "no" to becoming the next Joe Montana to say "yes" to what was merely a cloudy vision of exciting things for Louisville football under Howard Schnellenberger?
Not me.
Not you.
Jeff Brohm did.
Brohm has always believed in Louisville football, investing his blood, sweat, tears, energy and emotions into the program. Louisville football is where he belongs and it is where he will be in his quest to fulfill the vision that Schnellenberger planted in this program nearly 40 years ago.
Nobody who has followed the Brohm family should be surprised that Jeff (head coach) as well as his brothers — Greg (administrative assistant) and Brian (offensive coordinator) — are leaving Purdue to return to the legacy that was started by their father, Oscar, who lettered as the Cards' quarterback in 1968 and 1969.
Yes, Brohm decided to stay at Purdue four years ago when the school tried to recruit him to follow Bobby Petrino.
The timing did not work then. Brohm was only two seasons into his commitment to upgrade Boilermakers' football. He agonized over the decision for several days and nights before announcing the right thing to do was stay in West Lafayette and continue the job Purdue hired him to do.
Brohm did that.
His last two Purdue teams finished 6-3 in Big Ten play. His 2022 team won the Big Ten West title, a first for a program competing in a division typically dominated by Wisconsin and Iowa.
His last two teams won 69.2 % (2021) and 61.5% (2022) of their games. The last time Purdue won at least 60% of its games in consecutive seasons was 1997 and 1998.
In six seasons, Brohm won 26 Big Ten games, which ranks third in Purdue history. He is one of four coaches to leave West Lafayette with a winning record since 1943. He did excellent work for the Boilermakers.
Brohm will do excellent work for the Cardinals. He believed in the vision for Cardinal football when the program competed in an outdated minor league baseball stadium remembered for traffic jams and an absence of amenities other than restrooms and concession stands.
He came to Louisville football and waited his turn as a backup to Browning Nagle as the Cards finally started delivering on Schnellenberger bluster by going 10-1-1 and beating Alabama, 34-7, to put an exclamation point on the 1990 season.
He persevered through a rebuild, breaking an ankle against Tennessee two games into a 2-9 season in 1991 and winning only five of 11 games the following year.
Brohm had options. He was also an all-state baseball player. The Cleveland Indians drafted him. Brohm played in the minor leagues on teams with Hall of Famer Jim Thome and All-Star Manny Ramirez.
But Brohm's head, heart and family DNA were in Louisville. He stayed through his fifth season. He quarterbacked the Cards to nine victories in a dozen games, including victories over No. 23 Arizona State, Texas, Pittsburgh and Michigan State.
Make a note of that last victory. It came in the Liberty Bowl. Some people advised Brohm not to play because of the five pins doctors placed in the right index finger on his throwing hand.
Brohm played. Of course, he played.
He left Memphis with the MVP award as the Cardinals defeated Michigan State, 18-7. He completed 19 of 29 passes for 197 yards and a touchdown.
In 20-degree temperatures.
And freezing rain.
Brohm was all-in on Schnellenberger's version for Louisville football then. And by leaving Purdue to become the next football coach at Louisville, Brohm showed that he is all-in on it again.
IMAGES | Jeff Brohm comes back home, introduced as Louisville's head football coach
Jeff Brohm is introduced as the new head football coach at the University of Louisville. Dec. 8, 2022.
(WDRB Photo)
