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ESPN Ranks Purdue's Jeff Brohm Among Top-10 FBS Coaches as Players

Purdue coach Jeff Brohm played five years at Louisville and spent seven seasons in the NFL despite going undrafted. In one season with the XFL's Orlando Rage, Brohm earned first-team all-league honors.
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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — College football is home to numerous coaches that are known for their ability to lead their teams to victory. However, with the 2021 season slowly approaching, ESPN's Adam Rittenberg ranked all of the head coaches in the Football Bowl Subdivision based on their playing careers. 

Michigan's Jim Harbaugh and Northwestern's Pat Fitzgerald headline the list, but Purdue coach Jeff Brohm isn't far behind. He was ranked No. 7 on the list, which was fourth among Big Ten coaches. 

Brohm had a five-year college football career at Louisville and was the starting quarterback in three seasons for the Cardinals. He compiled 402 competitions, 5,451 yards and 38 touchdowns while finishing his college career with a passer rating of 129.97. 

He won team MVP honors in each of his final two years with Louisville before going undrafted in the 1994 NFL Draft. As an undrafted free agent, Brohm played in the NFL for seven seasons and donned a uniform for six different teams. He only appeared in eight NFL games but was better known for his play in the XFL, where he earned first-team all-league honors. 

Brohm played in one season for the Orlando Rage in 2001 before accepting his first coaching position. 

Here's where every Big Ten head coach landed on the list: 

  • 82. Paul Chryst, Wisconsin
  • 78. Tom Allen, Indiana
  • 77. Kirk Ferentz, Iowa
  • 70. Mike Locksley, Maryland
  • 68. Bret Bielema, Illinois
  • 61. Mel Tucker, Michigan State 
  • 47. Greg Schiano, Rutgers
  • 43. Ryan Day, Ohio State
  • 41. James Franklin, Penn State 
  • 27. P.J. Fleck, Minnesota
  • 7. Jeff Brohm, Purdue 
  • 6. Scott Frost, Nebraska
  • 2. Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern
  • 1. Jim Harbaugh, Michigan

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