And so it begins.

In a report according to Gridiron Now (and a hat tip to the Boiled Sports guys for finding it first), Tennessee has reached out to Jeff Brohm to fill their coaching vacancy:

A source with first-hand knowledge said Tennessee has contacted Purdue coach Jeff Brohm, as well as Southern Cal offensive coordinator Tee Martin. Brohm, per sources at Purdue, mostly operates without an agent while Martin is represented by Jimmy Sexton.

This could be nothing. Brohm has only been in West Lafayette a year, is handsomely compensated at more than $3 million a year, and just got a nice little bonus for reaching a bowl game in his first season despite losing his top rusher (Tario Fuller), left tackle (Grant Hermanns), second rusher (Richie Worship), and others who missed time here and there. He has dug Purdue out of an abyss to am immediate bowl game.

Before this season Brohm was the 31st highest paid coach in college football. Butch Jones was making more at $4.1 million though. What is Tennessee going to offer? They just paid $8.1 million to buy him out, and they would have to pay Purdue quite a bit to buy out Brohm’s contract here (at least $5 million plus another $750,000 of the loan Purdue gave him to buy out Western Kentucky if it happens before December 5th). Tennessee is in the insane SEC though. If they want him bad enough...

I don’t think he will go anywhere. He has not been made out to be a job hopper, but it still makes for a tense moment. Tennessee also made a complete hash of things today with Greg Schiano and is a little radioactive.