LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Cardinal fans came back to L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium in record numbers Saturday, when just a year ago they didn't even think about showing.
But that all changed in December 2022, when the University of Louisville football team welcomed back a home-grown legend, Jeff Brohm.
He was Howard Schnellenberger’s star quarterback from 1989 to 1993.
In December 2022, Jeff accepted the role of head coach after former head coach Scott Satterfield left for the University of Cincinnati.
The patriarch of the Brohm family, Oscar, shows up at UofL often. The 75-year-old is the original Brohm quarterback, playing in 1968.
"I'm going to have to bring in some of the action shots of Greg and Jeff and Brian and get them on the wall now, now that they're back," Oscar told WHAS11 News' Doug Proffitt while they walked down a hallway full of memorable football moments, immortalized in frames.
Forever a coach, Oscar still gives his kids some tips.
"I coached Greg and Jeff and Brian when they were little," he said. "Whether they like it or not, I'm still coaching them now, and I think they like it."
Sometimes he'll call a couple times a day according to Greg.
"My job's to answer the phone when some other guys are working, and to take it, some of his tips, or fatherly advice and coaching advice," he said.
The Brohms are tight knit with a sense of humor about the family dynamics.
Doug: So you see him walking through the hallways, do you just smile?
Jeff: Well it is every day, no matter whether the door is shut or not.
Oscar: I try to sneak up because I don't want him to turn and walk the other way.
Jeff: It's the way it is, you know.
Doug: How often does he text you with advice? All the time?
Jeff: Oh gosh, yeah, and it's not me he's going through Greg, and normally when Greg says something I can tell if it's his idea or someone else's idea, that's part of it.
While family businesses can sometimes be rocky, the Brohm family has figured out a way to turn their closeness into a management style that’s working.
One long-time UofL fan said he liked Jeff because he was "business-like." When asked what he thought of that, he took it as a compliment.
"I'm not into flash, I'm into putting in the work and the results," Jeff said. "If you are worried about the fluff on the side, it takes away from the work you put into to try to win."
Greg said they know what the fans want too.
"We've been around long enough, all the eras of Louisville football, we know what the fans want: they want to be relevant," he said. "They want to compete for big trophies and championships and compete, so they see in us we're trying to keep the football first, and do it the right way, and do it with morals and ethics and things like that."
And the next era is fast approaching; Brady Brohm, Jeff's 18-year-old son, is a freshman and works in recruiting.
He was right next to his dad, racing onto the field Saturday after UofL beat Notre Dame.
The three Brohm brothers have played under or worked for a combination of UofL coaches dating back to 1988, from the legendary Howard Schnellenberger to the talented, but controversial, Bobby Petrino.
Through it all, Oscar was the UofL rock.
"He was here in the birth of the program really, he's seen a lot of things," Greg said in reference to his dad.
Oscar has been coaching young talent for 50 years now, and has even the small details, down to a science. For 25 years he’s been a quarterback coach for Trinity High School, where his three sons were football stars.
"Every day I start out with two sets of clothes," the patriarch said. "If I'm at Louisville I'll wear Louisville clothes; If I'm going to Trinity I'll make a quick change, usually in the car, and even my shoes, so that way I keep them all together."
In the end, it all comes down to football, a love of Louisville and a love of the Cardinal football program.
"Yes, it's always been a destination that I wanted to be a part of," Jeff said. "And now that I'm here, it's right here in front of me, and I've got to take advantage of it and give my all to make it work."
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