Louisville Cardinals, it’s on to the next one as Jeff Brohm will remain at Purdue. Brohm met with Louisville athletic director Vince Tyra on Nov. 27, but turned down the chance to return home to coach his alma mater.
Brohm had been the front-runner for the Cardinals’ coaching job since Bobby Petrino’s firing earlier this month. The Boilermakers are now 13-12 in two seasons under Brohm, with a signature win over Ohio State.
“After intense and thorough discussion, I believe it is important to finish the building process we have begun and honor the commitment I made to our football program, players, and recruits,” Brohm said. “I believe that remaining at Purdue is the right thing to do, and I am excited for the challenges ahead.”
In a statement regarding the coaching search, Tyra wrote, “While Jeff and I had a terrific conversation about the future of the University of Louisville football program and how he could play a role in our success, it was clear that his heart and mind were still with fulfilling his commitment to Purdue. As a Cardinal alumnus, Jeff has accomplished a great deal as a player and as a coach. We wish him the best going forward except when we may meet on the field of play.”
So now, let’s look at the top candidates for the spot now that Brohm has made his decision.
Luke Fickell
Fickell’s currently in his second season at Cincinnati. The Bearcats have a 10-2 record this year. Fickell does have experience leading a big program, having served as interim head coach at Ohio State and also as the Buckeyes’ defensive coordinator for several years. His experience in the region could help recruiting, especially players moving on to the NFL.
Scott Satterfield
Satterfield generates a lot of respect in conversations about top Group of Five head coaches looking to work their way up. He’s currently at Appalachian State in his sixth season. He brings the best out of his players and consistently brings upsets and near upsets against power schools. So many, in fact, they don’t put them on their schedules anymore. His team is 9-2 this year in the Sun Belt and he’s got a record of 50-24 during his time. His teams are solid defensively and well-rounded.
Neal Brown
Brown is at Troy going on four years with a 34-16 record. In the last two years, they’ve won at LSU, Nebraska and almost shocked the 2016 Clemson team which ended up winning the national championship. Brown has local ties, having grown up in Boyle County and served as offensive coordinator at Kentucky. Brown is a former UK football player, too. This year his team is 9-3 and 7-1 in the Sun Belt.
Ryan Day
Day is well-regarded in coaching circles. Particularly this year after he handled the turmoil at Ohio State during his three games as acting head coach. He brought the Buckeyes through a tough situation with the Urban Meyer scandals about as well as anyone could have anticipated. He has NFL experience as a quarterback coach. As the Louisville sports program has also been rocked by scandal, Day’s crisis management experience could lead the Cards back to the promised land.
