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Truth Behind Brohm / Jurich / UL

STUCKNBIG10

All-SEC
Aug 30, 2006
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The UL masses expect Jeff Brohm to float home whenever they call him back (and many of them seem to want that sooner rather than later).

But, I have read some scuttlebutt that the Brohm family has no love for Tom Jurich.

Does anyone have any real information on this (i.e. anything outside of message board chatter)?

I expect UL to start a downward slide, but I must admit that Brohm is a GREAT coach and would be a force anywhere he lands (not convinced he'd go to UL even if there is no issue with Jurich as I think he can land a better job in the SEC if he wants one).
 
Tom Jurich allowed Coach Kragthorpe to throw Brohm under the bus to save his job. Amazed it worked
 
Louisville football coach Steve Kragthorpe is going back to his offensive roots in an effort to jump-start his struggling program.

After two disappointing seasons with a combined record of 11-13, Kragthorpe will take over the play calling duties for the Cardinals next season.

Former offensive coordinator Jeff Brohm has been hired at Florida Atlantic, where he will work as an assistant focusing on quarterbacks, under Howard Schnellenberger, according to the program's Web site.

So Kragthorpe, who last did all the play calling at Texas A&M from 1998-2000, gets to lead from the front and practice what he's been preaching to his players since taking over for Bobby Petrino two years ago.

"We have a saying in our program, it's 'Show me,'" Kragthorpe said. "That's how I've always been. I always told the guys at Texas A&M, when I was offensive coordinator there and I was calling the plays, 'Hey, if you want the ball, show me. Show me during the week of practice that you're the guy that deserves to have the ball when we tee this thing on game day.'"

Now, Kragthorpe knows he will have to answer directly for everything on the offensive side of the ball. That's the way he wanted it.

"I want to be the guy that's scrutinized," he said. "I want to be the guy that's the point guy. I'm fully comfortable in that role. I'm fully aware of what that role entails, and so there will be no gray area in terms of that."

Kragthorpe would not blame Brohm or last season's starting quarterback Hunter Cantwell for Louisville's offensive problems, insteady saying the program just needed some changes.

"Jeff's been a great quarterback here and has done a good job in terms of the coaching part of it," Kragthorpe said. "I just wanted to go a different direction and that's just one of the things I felt like I needed to do."

Kragthorpe knew he risked making a lot of people angry by replacing Brohm, knowing the family's connection with the community and the university.

Brohm has been a member of the Cardinals' coaching staff for six years and still is near the top in several career passing categories after starting at quarterback for the Cardinals for three years, including being named team MVP in 1992 and 1993. Brohm's brothers Greg and Brian, and father Oscar also played for Louisville, and Greg is the program's director of football operations.

"Certainly, I understand the magnitude of this decision, simply because of the Brohm family," Kragthorpe said. "It's something I was very cognizant of -- the negative backlash, if you will."

Kragthorpe also announced the hiring of wide receivers coach Jeff Lewis and quarterbacks coach and passing coordinator Matt Wells.

Kragthorpe and Wells previously worked together at Tulsa. Wells was tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator from 2002-06 while Kragthorpe was head coach there.

Kragthorpe says Brohm had the option of staying with the program, but not in a coaching capacity.

As for Kragthorpe, he's used to his own job being on the line.

"I think your future's in doubt every year as a football coach," Kragthorpe said. "I think you're being scrutinized every year. I think you're being judged every year and I don't look at this year different than any other year."
 
He won't stay at Purdue long. A big time program will scoop him up. It's possible within the next couple of years Texas A&M, LSU, Florida, Tennessee, Notre Dame all open up. Not to mention other programs who will lose someone unexpectedly like Ole Miss did or Oklahoma did. He can get a better job than Louisville.
 
Kragpoop and Jurich threw Jeff under the bus and then fired his brother (Greg) from the program as well (he worked in some football admin. position). They scapegoated Jeff to buy Krags another year. I doubt that there is much love between Jurich and the Brohms at this point.

That being said Jeff is one of UL's best all time players and Louisville is his home. So maybe he would come back for the head job and a big payday one day.
 
Everyone thought there's no way Jurich would hire Petrino again. Not the same situation but you had something that didn't end well with two people involved. You all are assuming UofL works like a normal, functioning athletic department. They don't. If there is some issue with Brohm and Jurich, they'd figure out a way to make it work.
 
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Yes, there is a no love lost between them (Brohm and Jurich). I'm not sure Brohm would come back while Jurich is there, because Brohm actually has integrity and values.

IMHO, I don't think Jurich will be around more than 2 more years. If that happens, new AD's usually come in and put in their people, unless there is a legend there. Bobby hasn't reached that level and he's got a lot of baggage.
 
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I'll defer to you guys (especially Ollie, seems like I recall him being connected to the Louisville program). But I would've pegged the Jurich/Brohm thing differently. If I recall, when Kragthorpe was hired, Jurich took the unusual step of forcing him to retain several Petrino assistants, including Brohm. So right off the bat Jurich probably gets major points with Brohm. Then when Kragthorpe was clearly taking on water, and made the inevitable claim "what do you expect, you tied my hands behind my back by not letting me hire my own staff", Jurich acquiesced and let him jettison Brohm to bring in his own guy. For that, it would be easy for Jurich to make the case that he was responsible for keeping Brohm to begin with, and only let Kragthorpe have his way in firing Brohm to try to salvage things. Viewed that way, Kragthorpe is the bad guy and Jurich is a Brohm advocate.....
 
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