WEST LAFAYETTE, In. (WHAS11) – After Bobby Petrino's firing, all eyes are on Purdue head coach Jeff Brohm to fill the position.
Brohm grew up in Louisville, attending Trinity High School and moving on to play football at the University of Louisville. He was starting quarterback for two years, alongside his brother Greg who played wide receiver. Brohm helped lead the team to the 1993 Liberty Bowl.
After his college career, Brohm played in the NFL for seven seasons. Then in 2003, he began coaching at U of L as an assistant coach. Brom moved around to several universities coaching their teams, before becoming an associate coach at Western Kentucky University. Once Petrino left for Louisville in 2014, he was promoted to head coach and led the team to three bowl games, and winning two of them.
Brohm took the head coaching position at Purdue in 2016, and led the Boilermakers to a 7-6 record in his first season there.
With his strong ties to the city, returning to coach Louisville would be "coming home." Brohm even still owns a home in Louisville.
In Monday's head coach presser at Purdue, Brohm was peppered with questions about the speculation surrounding Louisville.
"I've heard the noise, just like everyone else. I think it's important right now for me not to comment on any speculation. Right now I have a job and we've got work to do and a lot of it," Brohm said.
When asked if returning to coach Louisville has been a dream for him, he said, "Not it has not. But that doesn't mean I don't like...I mean I liked where I lived and where I played and I have a great appreciation for that."
In the newser, Brohm acknowledged his appreciation for the part he played in Louisville football, but he's remaining focused on his players and team at Purdue.
"Right now, I'm happy where I'm at, and I've got a job to do," Brohm said.
Longtime friend of the Brohm family and WHAS Radio host, Jody Demling, said that's not a surprising response from Jeff Brohm.
"That's just his character, that's his demeanor, that's Jeff Brohm, is being true and loyal," Demling said.
He described Brohm as a family guy, saying his life is a lot of football, but he doesn't focus on it "24 hours a day, 365 days a year."
To acquire Brohm as head coach, U of L Athletics would need to pay $4.4 million to buyout his contract by December 5th. It then drops to $3.3 if he doesn't leave Purdue before that date.
But Demling says money won't be Brohm's deciding factor.
"To me, being a friend of his and knowing how he is," Demling said. "This whole decision, if he has one to make, is not going to be all about money, that's just not who he is."
Brohm did not give any indication of where he stands on the speculation of a coaching job at Louisville, but he also didn't shut down the rumors. So for all of the U of L fans who are on board with the idea, the door isn't closed.