A native Kentuckian and one of the state’s most notable football products is now the head football coach at one of the three FBS programs in Kentucky. Hilltopper assistant head coach and offensive coordinator Jeff Brohm has been elevated to the head coach’s chair, WKU Athletic Director Todd Stewart announced on Friday.
WKU President Dr. Gary Ransdell and Stewart will present Brohm to the media and the public at 3:30 this afternoon from the Jack and Jackie Harbaugh Club at Houchens Industries-L.T. Smith Stadium.
The press conference will be streamed live on WKUSports.TV and Hilltoppers fans are also encouraged to attend the press conference and bring their favorite WKU memorabilia to take part in a meet-and-greet session for pictures and autographs with Coach Brohm.
An 11-year collegiate coaching veteran with experience in the Big 10, Big East, Conference USA and Sun Belt conferences, Brohm directed a high-flying, high-scoring offensive attack that shattered 18 single-season school records including total offense, individual passing yards and individual rushing yards in his first season as the Hilltoppers’ offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at WKU in 2013.
Under Brohm’s tutelage, 20 players in offenses he coordinated went on to be drafted into the National Football League while four quarterbacks, Stefan LeFors, Brian Brohm, Hunter Cantwell, and Rusty Smith went on to play in the NFL directly out of Brohm’s quarterback room.
Brohm’s offenses have averaged 2,981 yards per season, marks that would rank No. 31 nationally in this season’s total offensive rankings while his quarterbacks have compiled a career completion percentage of 63-percent, another Top-30 ranking nationally in 2013. Since 2003, Brohm has also been a part of 82 total wins as either an offensive coordinator or quarterbacks coach.
Brohm inherits a program that is in the midst of a highly successful transition into the FBS. The Hilltoppers are one of just 38 programs nationally to have seven wins in at least three consecutive seasons and are one of just nine programs to accomplish that feat from a non-automatic qualifying conference. All of this in just their fifth season in college football’s upper echelon of competition.
As the assistant head coach and offensive coordinator for the Tops, Brohm's primary pupil, first-year starting quarterback Brandon Doughty, broke a 23-year old record for the most passing yards in a season with 2,857 while running back Antonio Andrews broke his own school record, set in 2012, and became just the 11th player in FBS history to rush for 1,700 yards or more in consecutive seasons when he piled up 1,730 rushing yards in 2013.
For his efforts, Andrews was named the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year and earned five All-American team distinctions. Andrews is also the school’s first ever first-round invitee to the Reese’s Senior Bowl, the nation’s preeminent all-star game for graduating seniors.
Under Brohm's direction, the Hilltopper offense was No. 2 in the Sun Belt, finishing the regular season just two-tenths of a yard per game away from the top spot, averaging 458.5 yards per game.
Known for his development of signal callers, Brohm spent two years at Illinois before making the move to UAB for the 2012 season. In his second year working with Illinois quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase, Brohm guided the sophomore to improved numbers in passing yardage, completion percentage and passing efficiency in 2011. Scheelhaase's 138.0 rating was the fourth-best season mark in Illini history.
Brohm began molding Scheelhaase in 2010 and he quickly showed results, throwing 13 touchdowns and one interception over the last seven games of the season after throwing four touchdowns and seven interceptions in the first six games. Scheelhaase also broke the Illinois records for rushing by a quarterback and by a freshman with 868 yards Prior to going to Illinois, Brohm spent the 2009 season as the quarterbacks coach at Florida Atlantic in the Sun Belt Conference, where he was reunited with his college coach, Howard Schnellenberger. While Brohm was at FAU, the Owls averaged 27.4 points per game, 279.7 yards passing per contest and 432.1 yards of total offense per game.
Brohm served as the quarterbacks coach at Louisville from 2003-06, assistant head coach and passing game coordinator in 2007, and the assistant head coach and offensive coordinator in 2008.
Under Brohm's direction, the Cardinals' passing attack flourished, including a record-breaking season in 2007 with Brohm's younger brother, Brian, as quarterback. Brian Brohm threw for 4,024 yards including 30 touchdowns, on his way to repeating second team All-Big East accolades. Brian finished second in the nation in passing efficiency and completed 68.8 percent of his throws in 2006.
In his first season as an assistant coach at Louisville, Brohm guided quarterback Stefan LeFors to a No. 1 national ranking in passing efficiency and completion percentage, and watched as the southpaw narrowly missed setting NCAA records in both categories.
Brohm began his NFL career in 1994 with the San Diego Chargers, who played in Super Bowl XXIX. He played for the San Francisco 49ers from 1995-97, where he was the backup quarterback to Hall of Famer and ESPN analyst Steve Young in 1997.
From 1998-2000, Brohm played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Denver Broncos and the Cleveland Browns. In 2001, he played in the XFL for the Orlando Rage and was named first team All-XFL as he owned the league's highest QB rating at 99.9.
Brohm was one of four family members to earn a gridiron letter from Louisville. He wrapped up his four-year collegiate career as one of the most prolific offensive players to wear Louisville's jersey. As a three-year starter for the Cards, Brohm ranks among the all-time leaders for passing yards, touchdown passes, completions, total offense and completion percentage.
A Louisville native, he was voted the team's MVP in both 1992 and 1993, and always will be remembered for a gritty performance in leading Louisville to an 18-7 victory over Michigan State in the 1993 Liberty Bowl, one of Schnellenberger's six career bowl victories. Playing with two steel pins and one steel plate in the index finger of his throwing hand, Brohm completed 19-of-29 passes for 197 yards and a touchdown, all while playing in 20-degree temperatures and freezing rain to earn the game's MVP award.
As a student-athlete at Louisville, Brohm played two seasons of baseball with the Cleveland Indians' organization while playing football for the Cards. Brohm also was named the Kentucky High School Player of the Decade for the 1980s before attending Louisville, where his number was honored in 2006 for his contributions as a Cardinal quarterback.
Brohm received his bachelor's degree in business administration from Louisville in 1994. He and his wife, Jennifer, have a son, Brady, and daughter, Brooke.
The LoJo
WKU Athletic Director Todd Stewart issued the following statement about the University of Louisville hiring former WKU coach Bobby Petrino to replace Charlie Strong as the Cardinals’ new coach:
"President Ramsey, Tom Jurich and the University of Louisville have made a tremendous hire, and I wish Bobby, Becky and the Petrino family much success and happiness in Louisville. Coach Petrino displayed a tireless work ethic throughout his 13 months as our head coach and was completely devoted to WKU football from the day he was hired. Our program benefited greatly from his presence, knowledge and leadership. He will do a terrific job leading the Louisville football program as they move into the Atlantic Coast Conference, and I am also confident he will take an already outstanding program to even loftier heights."