Now that the Jeff Brohm dalliance has finally fizzled, the University of Louisville can consider some serious candidates. Brohm was never coming home, using UofL as a bargaining chip to further solidify his position at Purdue University.

No good vibes during the entire process, not from a family or from the University in which each party had invested so much. Little to no public communications from any of the Brohms, just enough winks and nods with selective media contacts to advance Jeff’s interests, keep playing his game.

While some around him indicated that he had considerable interest in Louisville, there was no indication from Brohm himself. Just the usual mumbo-jumbo coachspeak about being where he wanted to be. Taking his time, keeping everybody waiting, keeping his players, keeping Louisville fans guessing. 

No indications from friends and family members in Louisville that he was excited about being considered, possibly returning to his alma mater. No happy memories  about program where he, his dad and a brother had quarterbacked, another brother had been a wide receiver. 

Just silence. The kind of silence with an ominous feel to it all along.  Nothingness. Hurry up and wait. For what?

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No one having a clue about Brohm was going to do. Not inspiring confidence, just enough to keep Louisville fans waiting and hoping, allowing the suspense to build to a fever pitch. Brohm has matured, gone on to other interests, and is no longer tuned into Louisville his hometown, or UofL 

No expressions of disappointment from Brohm about what had happened to Louisville football over the last year under Bobby Petrino’s direction. No obvious interest in rescuing the UofL program, or concern about what the University had been through over the past three years. The hometown boy had a set of priorities, but it’s clear now did not match up with Louisville’s.

As a poster on Louisville message board noted, “This program is at one of the lowest points we’ve seen and people viewed Brohm as the guy to take us to the next level, it was storybook. Instead Brohm pretty much walked by the pond, saw us drowning, and took a seat at the picnic table to watch.”

Brohm was focused of taking full advantage of the uncertainty in West Lafayette to nail down further concessions from Purdue. A big paycheck got much, much bigger with PU matching Louisville dollar for dollar. In the end, he is said to have improved his salary from a reported $3.8 million to an estimated $6 million annually.

Athletic Director Vince Tyra indicated Thursday morning that he never felt during the give and take (mostly give) with Brohm that the former Louisville quarterback was excited as Tyra was about the UofL job. Tyra saying it was clear that Brohm’s heart and mind were consumed with fulfilling his commitment to Purdue.

Tyra had no choice but to go after Brohm, make the best possible offer, let Brohm know he was badly needed, and wait for Brohm to quit stalling. Now Tyra is free to pursue someone who wants to be at UofL, “someone with the same energy and excitement going to work every day as myself, Chris Mack, Dan McDonnell and other UofL coaches.” Good for Vince, let our people go.

Brohm has made his choice, and Louisville respects that choice and wishes him well. Some have suggested that the timing was not right, and that UofL and Brohm could still get together some day. Don’t count on it, not when Jeff Brohm turned a cold shoulder to UofL football during a time of its greatest need.  Thanks but no thanks to football coaches who have little regard for UofL’s interests, now and in the future.

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By Charlie Springer

Charlie Springer is a former Louisville editor and sportswriter, a public affairs consultant, a UofL grad and longtime fan.

9 thoughts on “Jeff Brohm got what he wanted from Purdue and Louisville”
  1. If he doesn’t want to be here, then we don’t want him.

    Those Tyra words are admirable, even if they are “runner up in the beauty pageant” A.D. speak.

    Brohm invested a lot of hard work, time and commitment into taking over the Purdue job. I can not blame him for not throwing that baby out with the bath water and rushing back to his hometown, but also a place that treated him badly during the Kragthorpe/Jurich era.

    He istrying to build something at Purdue an I will continue to wach that program with interest.

    As far as the “he played us, Bad Brohm” rhetoric, I’ll say this.

    Would you leave a great situation, fan base and emerging program and excellent conference to come back to a 2-10 program in a city that may still worship your family but kicked you out the door a few years back.?

    “Satter-days” are here. Get behind that… instead of crying over spilled milk. You didn’t get your way…too bad. Quit sulking and move on. Better days are ahead for Cardinal Football. They have to be. The program couldn’t possibly sink any lower.

    Paulie

  2. Well, I wanted Jeff. However, Scott Satterfield may turn out to be a better hire. I am pleased he is our new coach.

  3. Does this mean that we can end it with hearing about how Jeff is just a normal guy who isn’t about the money? Someone made out to be different than other coaches showed himself to be just another coach at the end of the day. He’s had his hand out two seasons in a row and Purdue should prepared for it to happen again as there are expected to be many more high profile openings after next season.

  4. Finally, someone in the media, sees and reports the truth. His agent has been negotiating for 3 weeks. Jeff had three weeks to figure out where he wanted to coach and stop the negotiating, but he waited, so he could get that $2M+ raise. I’m sure those millions will sooth those crocodile tears he cried on the radio today. It’s funny, he didn’t seem to be all that loyal to Purdue last year, when he was all but signed by Tennessee, until they backtracked on his salary.

  5. I agree with you Charlie. When we are in our time of need then our hometown hero is supposed to come save us and not use us to further his own selfish needs. This was nothing but a cash grab. How do you know? Because that same sense of “finishing the job” didn’t mean a thing at WKU but that extra money made him say goodbye to them. Then he leveraged his own alma mater for more money.

    1. Yes, both of you are so correct. I think we should no longer honor him since he no longer honors Louisville. Maybe we should no longer hang his jersey in Cardinal Stadium!

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