Brian Brohm Relishing in Opportunity as Interim Head Coach for Purdue Football

After Jeff Brohm's departure to Louisville, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Brian Brohm was named Purdue's interim head coach for the Citrus Bowl. Amid changes within the program, he is set on giving the team the best chance to win in Orlando.

D.J. Fezler | Dec 16, 2022

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Purdue Boilermakers

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — With Jeff Brohm now down at Louisville, interim head coach Brian Brohm takes on responsibility for preparing the Purdue football team for its upcoming matchup against No. 16 LSU in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl.

The Boilermakers, who sit at 8-5 after coming off a loss in the Big Ten Championship game, captured their first division title in program history. Their matchup against the Tigers is scheduled for Jan. 2 at Camping World Stadium in Orlando.

But as the program goes through rapid change at the end of 2022, Brohm is taking advantage of the opportunity to not only bolster his coaching resume but also give Purdue a chance to end a memorable season on a high note.

"I think, number one, our team earned this opportunity," Brohm said. "It's about this team this year and making sure that we're able to give them the best opportunity to go out there and put their best foot forward and try to go win the Citrus Bowl versus LSU. The guys are very excited about the opportunity and very excited about the game. It's a big-time matchup."

Purdue has reached bowl eligibility in four of the last six seasons, claiming wins over Arizona in the 2017 Foster Farms Bowl and Tennessee in the 2021 Music City Bowl.

Last season, the Boilermakers were victorious in a thrilling 48-45 overtime game against the Volunteers in Nashville. They earned their first nine-win season since 2003 and have a chance to reach that mark in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1997 and 1998.

Brohm takes over at the helm at Purdue for just the second time in his years serving as the team's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. He took the reins as acting head coach and play-caller for the team's season opener against Iowa back in 2020 after Jeff tested positive for COVID-19.

The Boilermakers came away with a 24-20 win over the Hawkeyes, but the upcoming stage will be like nothing Brohm has experienced in his coaching career.

"This is a great opportunity for me," Brohm said. "To have the ability to step into the head coach's seat, the head coach's shoes, to have this experience that I'm having, I think it's very beneficial for me and my future.

"I told our coaches, with a coaching change, no one really knows where they're gonna end up and what's gonna happen and where they're going to be. But I feel like you're always being watched by somebody."

Brohm is expected to join his brother on the coaching staff for the Cardinals after the season, and Purdue athletic director Mike Bobinski said he would not be shocked if he came to that decision.

With less than three weeks to prepare, Brohm and the Boilermakers have their sights set on the Citrus Bowl. The players and coaches that remain with the program are looking to take on a monumental challenge in the midst of change.

It's a chance for Brohm to put one last stamp on his time with Purdue before a new chapter begins in West Lafayette under new head coach Ryan Walters.

"These guys, I mean they're pumped, jacked, ready to play," Brohm said. "The coaches that we've got remaining, we're all gonna give it our all to give them the best opportunity to go down there and win."

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