Nathan Baird

nbaird@jconline.com

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Jeff Brohm appreciates the history of Purdue football, where celebrated quarterbacks led big offenses for a Big Ten Conference legacy program.

The man charged with taking the Boilermakers back to that tradition also recognizes the challenge ahead.

After nine victories in four seasons, Purdue needed a coach with a new vision who could establish a lacking identity. With 30 victories and two Conference USA championships in three seasons at Western Kentucky, Brohm proved he can quickly impact a program.

"Yes, I understand it's had its struggles recently," Brohm said at a Monday afternoon press conference introducing him as the 36th head coach in Purdue history. "But that's what they pay me for — to come in here and do my part and help bring this program up."

Brohm and Purdue came to an agreement Sunday on the structure of a six-year contract. Purdue athletic director Mike Bobinski said reports of a $20 million total value were approximately correct, though final details must be ratified by the Purdue Board of Trustees.

Brohm inherits a team that hasn't won consecutive games since 2012. That's also the last Purdue season with more than three victories and last to end with a bowl trip.

The 45-year-old former quarterback with Louisville and several NFL franchises described himself as a "regular Joe" on more than one occasion. Yet he also communicated a tangible repulsion for losing and an acceptance of the coach's role in establishing a winning culture.

"We're going to play and practice every day like it's the game, and it's going to be a competition, and we're going to work extremely hard to get better," Brohm said.

"When we're off the field, we're going to be there for them when they need things and make sure we're encouraging them and that they want to be around us and want to spend extra time in the building. And then when we get out there on game day I want us to relax and play it like practice — cut it loose, play fast, have a lot of fun — and hopefully that equals success."

Monday's announcement punctuated a process that began with Bobinski's hire in August and intensified after he fired Darrell Hazell on Oct. 16. At the time the Boilermakers were 3-3 and coming off a homecoming loss to Iowa in which they trailed 35-7 at halftime.

Bobinski said Purdue talked to several coaches as part of the search process, but Brohm rose to the top early on. He said Brohm filled several "non-negotiable" characteristics: integrity and ethics, an academic orientation, intelligence, a history of success and a belief in opportunity.

Bobinski, Purdue President Mitch Daniels and the Board of Trustees affirmed that opportunity by committing additional resources beyond the head coach's salary. Bobinski said Brohm's salary pool for assistant coaches would be $3.5 million — about a million dollars more than committed to last year's staff — and there would be additional upgrades to support staff.

"We are intent on building a championship organization, one that can compete in the Big Ten and beyond in the years ahead," Bobinski said. "I understand, and we all understand, that it won't be easy. It won't be overnight. But it will, in fact, get done, and it will get done the right way — in a way that makes Purdue proud in the years ahead."

Brohm said he had not made a final decision on which members of his Hilltoppers staff would join him at Purdue. A FOX Sports report said Brohm's brother, Brian, would likely join him as quarterbacks coach and co-offensive coordinator. Brohm said he would speak with other current members of the Boilermaker staff.

However, it would make sense if he chooses to keep intact the staff with which he's enjoyed great success the past three seasons.

Western Kentucky went 12-2 last season, finishing with a No. 24 ranking in the Associated Press poll. The Hilltoppers are currently 10-3 and accepted a bid to the Boca Raton Bowl on Sunday.

Brohm's WKU teams are known for potent offenses, running multiple formations at high speed. In each of his three seasons, the Hilltoppers finished in the national top 10 in scoring offense and total offense. Western Kentucky is currently second only to Louisville in points per game (45.3 to 45.1) and seventh in total offense.

"We want to play the game in a fun fashion, and we want to make it exciting to watch," Brohm said. "We want to make it exciting to practice. We want to do things creative. We want to stay ahead of the curve. We want to be cutting edge, whatever we can do."

Brohm twice served as an assistant under Bobby Petrino, first as quarterbacks coach at Louisville and later as assistant head coach and offensive coordinator at Western Kentucky. Brohm's first game as Purdue coach will be against Petrino and the Cardinals at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Sept. 2.

In between, Brohm earned Big Ten Conference experience as the quarterbacks coach on Ron Zook's staff at Illinois.

Brohm interits a returning quarterback David Blough, the Big Ten Conference leader in total offense and the national leader in interceptions. The Boilermakers project to have a solid running back group led by Markell Jones and promising young tight ends. On defense, multi-year captain Ja'Whaun Bentley and emerging leader Markus Bailey lead at linebacker. Cornerback Da'Wan Hunte has added stability in the secondary.

However, Purdue goes into 2017 with significant questions on both the offensive and defensive line and about its depth beyond Hunte at the back end of the defense.

Brohm will not coach Western Kentucky in the Boca Raton Bowl. He can immediately begin filling out and repairing the current recruiting class and addressing other pressing needs in the program.

"I tell my team always once a year, maybe more, but once a year at the end of spring practice, that as a head coach, I'm going to find a way to outwork every other head coach in America, and I'm going to try to find a way to put us in the best position to win," Brohm said.

"It won't always be perfect, but I am going to outwork the next person. And if they can do that for me, as well, as players, we're going to have a chance to have success."

Contact Journal & Courier Purdue sports reporter Nathan Baird at nbaird@jconline.com. Follow on Twitter: @nbairdjc.

The Jeff Brohm file

Name: Jeffrey Scott Brohm

Age: 45

Family: Wife, Jennifer; Son, Brady; daughter, Brooke.

School: Louisville, BA in business administration, 1994

College career: Louisville, quarterback, 1989-93

NFL: San Diego Chargers (1994), Washington Redskins (1995), San Francisco 49ers (1995-97), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1998), Denver Broncos (1999), Cleveland Browns (2000)

XFL: Orlando Rage (2001)

Coaching career

Head coach, Louisville Fire, Arena League 2 (2002)

Quarterbacks coach, Louisville (2003-06)

Assistant head coach/passing game, Louisville (2007)

Assistant head coach/offensive coordinator, Louisville (2008)

Quarterbacks, Florida Atlantic (2009)

Quarterbacks, Illinois (2010-11)

Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks, UAB (2012)

Assistant head coach/offensive coordinator/quarterbacks, Western Ketucky (2013)

Head coach, Western Kentucky (2014-16)

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