Baylor interviews Brohm
Bears reportedly talk with coach of Western Kentucky.
Western Kentucky head coach Jeff Brohm, whose Hilltoppers won their second straight Conference USA championship Saturday, was expected to interview with Baylor on Sunday, according to Yahoo Sports.
Brohm is expected to attract interest from several schools, including Purdue and Cincinnati. Tommy Tubberville resigned as Cincinnati’s coach Sunday after four seasons.
Baylor also is rumored to be looking at California’s Sonny Dykes, whose father Spike, was an iconic coach at Texas Tech. Colorado’s Mike MacIntyre told the Denver Post late Friday that he’s not interested in the Baylor job.
Other names being linked to Baylor include North Carolina’s Larry Fedora, a Texas native who coached at Baylor, and Western Michigan’s P.J. Fleck.
Brohm was a star quarterback for Louisville and he played for six NFL teams.
Baylor fired Art Briles on May 26. Jim Grobe took over as acting head coach, but announced last week that he is not a candidate to be the permanent replacement. Baylor also contacted Tom Herman, who accepted the job at Texas, and talked with SMU coach Chad Morris, who signed an extension with the Mustangs.
Houston: ESPN reported Saturday that Briles was one of five candidates being interviewed for the Cougars’ coaching opening, but Houston officials released statements striking down the report. No, Briles, who used to coach the Cougars, won’t be returning. Briles did, however, contact Houston officials to communicate his interest in the opening.
Texas hired Herman a week ago, leaving the Cougars with a nationwide search for a new coach.
Houston Athletic Director Hunter Yurachek said in his statement: “Earlier this week, Art Briles expressed interest to me regarding the Houston head coach position. After discussion with University of Houston leadership, we developed a list of candidates to be interviewed that did not include Art. At this time, we will have no further comment on potential candidates or timeline.”
Houston is said to be looking at Alabama offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin, former LSU coach Les Miles and Oklahoma offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley. Interim coach Todd Orlando and Cougars offensive coordinator Major Applewhite are also in consideration.
West Virginia: Coach Dana Holgorsen is being rewarded with a contract extension after a 10-win season.
In February, Holgorsen turned down an extension and it was unclear what the coach planned to do after this year before Sunday. Holgorsen made $2.98 million, the 37th highest-paid coach in the country and seventh-highest among Big 12 coaches. The new contract calls for him to make $3.72 million next season.
Late Saturday
Penn State 38, Wisconsin 31: Trace McSorley threw four touchdown passes as Penn State stunned Wisconsin in Indianapolis, rallying from a 21-point first-half deficit to claim its first conference title in eight years with the greatest comeback in Big Ten title game history.
The Nittany Lions (11-2) trailed 28-7 with 5:15 left in the first half, but McSorley led Penn State to touchdowns on each of its next four possessions, finally taking a 35-31 lead on an 18-yard TD pass to Saquon Barkley with 13:41 left in the game. The Nittany Lions never trailed again.
Things looked bleak early, but McSorley repeatedly burned the nation’s No. 3 defense with long passes on a record-breaking night.
He finished 22 of 31 for 384 yards and was named the game’s MVP. The yardage and TD passes were Big Ten Championship game records. He also broke the school’s single-season records for yards passing and touchdown passes.
Penn State’s Saeed Blacknall caught six passes, two for touchdowns, and finished with a championship-game record 155 yards. DaeSean Hamilton caught eight passes for 118 yards.
Wisconsin (10-3, No. 6 CFP) played without starting quarterback Alex Hornibrook but jumped to the big lead behind Corey Clement, who ran 21 times for 164 yards, including a 67-yard TD run.
Clemson 42, Virginia Tech 35: Deshaun Watson bolstered his Heisman Trophy candidacy by passing for three touchdowns and running for two more to lead Clemson over Virginia Tech in the ACC Championship game in Orlando, Fla.
Winning consecutive league titles for the first time in 28 years sent the Tigers (12-1) back to the fourteam College Football Playoff for the second straight year, providing Watson with an opportunity to resolve unfinished business from January, when his team lost to Alabama in the national championship game. The Clemson star completed 23 of 34 passes for 288 yards, including touchdowns of 21 and 10 yards to Jordan Leggett and 15 yards to Hunter Renfrow for a 42-28 lead midway through the fourth quarter.
Watson also rushed for 85 yards on 17 attempts for the Tigers.
Clemson has won back-toback ACC titles for the first time since winning three straight from 1986-88.