Purdue plucks Brohm away from W. Kentucky
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Jeff Brohm’s welcome party at Purdue was full of fanfare, with a pep band, cheerleaders, the school mascot and boosters all celebrating the arrival of the Boilermakers’ new coach.
Now it’s up to Brohm to inject excitement into the program and get fans back in the seats at Ross-Ade Stadium. Some victories would sure help, too.
All it took to lure Brohm away from Western Kentucky was a six-year contract worth an average of approximately $3.5 million per year, the promise of upgrades inside the program and a chance to put Purdue back on the national stage.
“Purdue to me has always been a program that plays an exciting brand of football,” Brohm said. “When I was growing up, they threw the ball around. They scored points. They competed against some of the best teams in the Big Ten each and every year, and they were exciting to watch. As a fan, you like to see teams that score points and do some fun things.”
That’s exactly the playbook he is bringing to West Lafayette after using it to compile a 30-10 record over the past three seasons at Western Kentucky. The Hilltoppers’ offense averaged 44.6 points and 526.2 yards per game.
The new style will be a stark contrast from the past four seasons under former coach Darrell Hazell and Gerad Parker, who went 0-6 as interim coach after taking over for the fired Hazell in October.
Purdue went 3-9 this season, winning just one game. The Boilermakers did not play in any bowl games under Hazell, and they’ll open next season against Brohm’s alma mater on Sept. 2.