No more retreads. Thanks Charlie but no thanks.
Louisville coaching candidates: Jeff Brohm, Charlie Strong lead list of Bobby Petrino replacements
- By Dennis Dodd
- 9m ago • 3 min read
We told you it was almost inevitable that Bobby Petrino would get fired. Now that it's happened, the next question: How good a job is
Louisville? The program has cratered so quickly from Lamar Jackson that it's hard to tell. The saving grace may be that aside from
Clemson this season, there isn't much depth in the ACC.
If, as is already being discussed, Jeff Brohm slides over from
Purdue, that question may not matter. Louisville is his school.
We'll miss ya, Bobby. Or at least someone will. One of the best offensive minds in college football has now been fired by two Power Five programs 6 ½ years apart. Will he get another shot?
Now to the candidates. This comes with the disclaimer that if Louisville doesn't get its first choice, it may be a long way down to second place.
1. Jeff Brohm, Purdue coach: There is not much more of a perfect fit. Former Cardinals quarterback, former offensive assistant under Petrino and Steve Kragthorpe. A chance to go home to his alma mater at age 47. All of this cannot be ignored. Besides, it should be obvious it's time to get out of Purdue. Excellence is hard to sustain. After beating
Ohio State, the Boilermakers have gone 1-2 including Saturday's blowout loss to
Minnesota. In one sense, that's a reflection on Brohm. Purdue is 5-5 with
Wisconsin and
Indiana to go. Bowl eligibility isn't a certainty. In another sense, how long does it take him to say "yes" when his schools calls?
2. Luke Fickell,
Cincinnati coach: If Ohio State doesn't get him, Louisville might be a good fallback. Fickell has done wonders for his career leading the Bearcats to the top 25 and a 9-1 record in the AAC. Check out the background and bios of Cincinnati's offensive line. Only two seniors returned. One guy got a sixth year from the NCAA.
3. Charlie Strong,
South Florida coach: Louisville has shown it is in the business of recycling former coaches. Strong had a, well, strong run coaching the Cardinals for four years this decade, leading Louisville to the 2013 Sugar Bowl. Strong has kept the momentum going at USF. There is no doubt he's ready for a jump back to Power Five, but it would only happen at Louisville if for some reason Brohm says no.
4. Chip Long,
Notre Dame offensive coordinator: A fresh new face (35 years old) with ties to the program. Long was a Louisville offensive graduate assistant working with Brohm in 2006-07. After what he's done this season, Long's future looks much brighter than perhaps taking over a nose-diving Louisville. He has massaged the quarterback situation, developed a pounding running game and reassembled an offensive line that lost two All-Americans. Would Louisville allow him to coach through the playoff?
5. Ryan Day, Ohio State offensive coordinator: If Day doesn't take over for Urban Meyer or the NFL doesn't come calling, he could do a lot worse. His steady guidance during Meyer's three-game suspension was noticed by a lot of people in the profession.
6. Butch Jones,
Alabama analyst: He's tanned, rested, ready and interested. Jones has begun his professional rehab attached to Alabama's most productive offense maybe ever. In case you need to be reminded, in 11 years as a coach, Jones has won four conference titles, gone to eight bowls and produced six All-Americans.
7. Bill Clark,
UAB coach: Clark is going to get a big promotion soon but probably not to Louisville. He is being mentioned as a national coach of the year candidate after winning the Conference USA West four years after the school dropped the program.
