All Entries Tagged With: "Jeff Brohm"

Honored numbers have a new home at Papa John’s

Artisans at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium put the finishing touches on Jeff Brohm’s honored number as work on the stadium expansion nears a conclusion. The honored numbers of former University of Louisville football standouts have been moved from the west side of the stadium to the new upper deck on the east side. (Click on photo to ENLARGE.)

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Brian Brohm in the Buffalo hunt

Brian Brohm is apparently in the chase for the starting quarterback position with the Buffalo Bills. Meanwhile, hoever, he still has the challenge of shaking off a less than stellar NFL start during at Green Bay.

In a recent interview, Brian discussed the advantages of growing up in a football family, with two older brothers who both played at the University of Louisville.

Q: Your father was a QB at Louisville. Your oldest brother, Greg, played receiver at Louisville. Your older brother, Jeff, was 1988 Kentucky Mr. Football, starred at Louisville and played QB in the NFL. What was it like carrying on such a heavy family tradition?

A: I pretty much grew up with a football in my hand. My older brother Jeff played in the NFL for seven years. He’s the guy I always looked up to. I wanted to be just like him. He’s 15 years older than me. Greg is 16 years older. I think I was 8 years old when my brother went to the Super Bowl with the Chargers. I got to experience that. I just fell in love with the game and the position of quarterback. They were always helping out, coaching me, in every sport.

It wasn’t just football. Basketball, baseball, they’d get me in the backyard. I remember in eighth grade my brother Jeff had just gone through Bill Walsh’s QB school. He came back and had me doing all the 5-step, 7-step drops, all that stuff. I was very fortunate. I think it really helped me out when I was younger that I had that coaching and a lot of other guys didn’t.

You can read the entire interview with the Buffalo News here.

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Post Chuckie Withdrawal

by Tom Stosberg

It’s going to be difficult the next few days for some of us as we recover from PCW syndrome (see above). We had high hopes that Tom Jurich was going to pull off the stunt of the century – hiring Jon “Chuckie” Gruden.

But now it doesn’t look like it’s going to happen. And some of us are having a little letdown. So now our spouses and friends are patting us on the heads, consoling us, telling us that it will still be okay. We’ll still get a good coach.

I guess it’s going to be alright but when you have your hopes set on getting someone who would literally blow the lid off college football … a guy who would have ESPN and every blog in the stratosphere sizzling … a bigger-than-life personality who would instantly ignite the fan base, reinvigorate recruiting and send season ticket sales soaring, it’s difficult to come back to reality.

After all, there’s nothing to indicate that TJ would even consider the possibility of hiring that particular Gruden brother, much less waste any time trying. While TJ is a visionary, he’s not reckless.

So I guess it was just a pipe dream, having Chuckie here for a couple of years with brother Jay as offensive coordinator waiting in the wings. And when Jay became head coach, Jeff Brohm taking over as OC. We’d have genuine Cardinal blood running through the system. You know, the tradition and heritage thing like the mega programs have.

So my wife advised it’s time to give up the notion and not to be sad about it. “We’ll still get a good coach”, she said. “It’ll be okay.” So I guess I’m back down to earth now.

But do you think….?

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Keep It In The Family

by Tom Stosberg

Excuse me. What would be wrong with a “bloodline” staff? … A coaching staff that includes former University of Louisville football players who are now successful coaches. Guys who have the red and black bloodline are out there and available. It could make plenty of sense.

Start with Jay Gruden as Head Coach and Jeff Brohm as Offensive Coordinator. Both played quarterback for one of the best offensive minds in the game, Howard Schnellenberger.

These two have very impressive pro football backgrounds. Gruden won three AFL championships as a coach and three more as a quarterback. Jeff was a pro player for five-plus years working with a wide variety of pro coaches under several offensive systems. They both know the latest spread offenses.

If Brohm won’t come back, Marty Lowe could be an outstanding offensive coordinator. Marty is in his second year as head coach at Western Carolina but he might consider coming back home if it fit his ultimate career path. He also played and coached in the Arena Football League.

Consider Ty Scroggins, the super successful Head Coach at Central High as Defensive Coordinator. Ty could bring in Mark Sander as Linebackers Coach. Mark is a former player with the Miami Dolphins and in NFL Europe. He also coached for Howard at Florida Atlantic and is currently the head coach at DeSales High School.

Mix in some coaches Jay Gruden would bring and you have a staff bound to be loyal and definitely committed to winning big time.

I personally think Jay Gruden’s track record indicates that he is a winner. And after recruiting in the AFL where the players have to hold down part time jobs to help support themselves, college recruiting could seem a whole lot easier. Think about it. Jay might possibly be a better choice than you thought “Chuckie” would have been. He might even win big and actually stay here.

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Another Brohm Leaves Louisville Football

You will never hear a Brohm criticize the University of Louisville publicly. The Brohms care so much.

Greg Brohm

Took a little longer than expected but Greg Brohm is no longer Director of Football Operations at U of L. The observer had concluded in March, shortly after Jeff Brohm left the football program as offensive coordinator, that Greg’s departure was inevitable.

Brohm, who lettered as a wide receiver from 1989 to 1992, will work on special projects at U of L, including the expansion of Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium.

“The university is very important to me,” Greg told the Courier-Journal. “I will do whatever job I am asked to do to the best of my ability. With stadium expansion and the other projects we have going on, I think there are some areas I look forward to helping with.”

His other brother, Brian Brohm, quarterbacked the Cardinals from 2004 through 2007. The Brohms have been associated with the football program since 1968-69 when their dad, Oscar Brohm, was quarterback.

Quite a legacy.

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Kragthorpe To Micro Manage Offense

By Paul Sykes

The obvious was confirmed today by Steve Kragthorpe:  Jeff Brohm is no longer the offensive coordinator or on the coaching staff at the University of Louisville. Kragthorpe has assumed for himself the role of offensive coordinator.

The third-year Louisville football coach has said several times recently that he will be the one to point the finger at when questions arise about the program. The first one is what changes will he make in the offensive play calling and schematics.

Way too early to predict that but I’ll do a little speculation. Unlike coach, I’ll not take any credit or criticism for how it turns out:

1. Find a quarterback that fits his offensive strategy. He’ll have five to choose from. One would conjecture that the Cards will take advantage of a strong running game and the quarterback might be called on to run an option style offense. This would seem to suit Adam Froman and Justin Burke’s skills. The other guys, we’ll just have to wait and see on.
2. Improve communications between the wide receivers and the quarterback. With a healthy Trent Guy, Scott Long and Doug Beaumont, the Cards are not lacking in go-to  wide outs. Which QB will achieve the most success with these talented receivers? Can a quality tight end surface to make those clutch short yardage gains? Kragthorpe’s offenses at Tulsa were very dependent on the tight end. With him calling the plays now, that position will be instrumental in picking up yardage. Yardage is good.
3. Find a back that can “catch and go”.  A quick running back with good receiver skills can be a serious offensive threat. Not only does it give the offense another option, it also gives the opposing defense another thing to worry about. Victor Anderson is the obvious choice here but do Darius Ashley or Bilal Powell have those skills as well? Predictability was one of the downfalls of the Cardinal attack this last season. A good throw-to back would make us less obvious.

Spring and fall ball will give Kragthorpe plenty of time to test his new job and skills.  Let’s hope he deserves a promotion at the end of the season.

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Closing Chapter For Brohms?

By Charlie Springer

Jeff Brohm is a huge question mark as Coach Steve Kragthorpe continues the shuffling of the University of Louisville football coaching staff, hoping to find the combination to get things headed in the right direction.

Since no one in authority will say Brohm is returning as offensive coordinator, fans must assume Jeff is gone. That would leave only one member of the Brohm family still with the program, former wide receiver Greg Brohm serving as director of football operations.

That can’t be a very pleasant situation for Greg or any of the Brohm family members who have invested so much time and emotion in the program. The university owes much to the Brohms. If anyone is looking out for Jeff, they also need to be taking care of Greg. Not much of a stretch to suggest he may be leaving as well.

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Safety Latarrius Thomas is the latest to announce that he will be leaving the team, telling Courier-Journal reporter C. L. Brown he wanted either to follow former U of L defensive coordinator Ron English to Eastern Michigan or to reunite with Bobby Petrino at Arkansas. But he said U of L head coach Steve Kragthorpe would not grant him a release to either school.

“He gave me his reasons why I should stay,” said Thomas of his meeting with the coach. “It wasn’t a bad meeting, we’re not on bad terms. I’m pretty sure he’d like for me to stay here, I just don’t feel like it’s the right place for me anymore.”

His explanation, or lack of one, provides plenty of fodder for the detractors. LT could have helped clarify some of the issues but he leaves everyone to decide for themselves.

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Some people perform best when their backs are against the wall.

One would hope that applies to Kragthorpe and the three new assistants – Larry Slade, Brent Guy and Jay Johnson – who were announced on Wednesday. They have nothing to lose, coming as they are from programs that were losing while they were at Tennessee, Utah State and Southern Miss, respectively.

Instead of being met by the Welcome Wagon, they arrive in Possibility City to the spectacle of a growing clan of newly-and-self-appointed football experts from a school that only recently joined the BCS club who consider the cause lost before they begin.

Nothing new for these guys: They know fans aren’t friends, and you’re not going to win any popularity contests until you win football games.   Again, welcome to Louisville. Take the naysayers in stride, defy some incredible odds.

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