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Jeff Brohm didn’t expect to be head coach of UofL: ‘It was something I didn’t know would ever happen’

“We understand in our opinion this is the fans’ team; it’s not just Louisville football, it’s the Louisville football fans community team."

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — It’s been a little over 24 hours after the University of Louisville officially named Jeff Brohm the new football head coach, and the reaction has been pouring in.

Louisville has welcomed Brohm back with open arms, with many posting on social media how exciting this is for the university.

Brohm sat down with WHAS11’s Kent Spencer to talk about the future and his thoughts on the past day.

He has been busy on the recruiting trail, dealing with the transfer portal, and bringing a few staff members up to speed.

“Every time you take over a program the first part is a lot of work, now with early signing day, with the portal, with NIL, you just pitch your feet in the ground,” he said.

Brohm said he’s not perfect but believes in doing things the right way and takes pride in where he lives.

“It was exciting, it was something I didn’t know would ever happen,” he said. “All of a sudden, now I’m leaving someplace I love – grew to love – love the people and going back home to something I really love.”

However, things haven’t always gone the way he wanted at UofL. Brohm was fired back in 2009 when he was an assistant under Steve Kragthorpe.

Brohm credited his two mentors, Dennis Lampley at Trinity and Howard Schnellenberger at Louisville, for shaping him into the football coach he is today.

“Dennis Lampley, his best qualities, he loved his players, and his players knew he loved them. And he cared; because of that his guys played hard for them,” he said. “With Coach Schnellenberger, I think the number one quality they had, he was good at getting his players to believe how good they could be. He was not scared to tell the whole world what was about ready to happen.”

At Purdue, Brohm was 4-1 against Indiana in their rivalry games, and he knows how much the Battle for the Governor’s Cup means to Louisville fans.

“We respect the school up the street, Kentucky, they do a great job,” he said. “They’ve had a lot of success, but we got to find a way to win the football game.”

He said it’s going to start on the home field this next year.

“We understand in our opinion this is the fans’ team; it’s not just Louisville football, it’s the Louisville football fans community team,” he said. “As a leader and coach, we got to put the best product on the field to make them happy because everyone feels a genuine part of it.”

WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW BELOW

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