Rising college football coach unexpectedly connected to Michigan head coach vacancy

Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies coach Phillip Montgomery (left) and Louisville Cardinals head coach Jeff Brohm chat before the game at Lane Stadium. | Brian Bishop-Imagn Images

Michigan finished the regular season 9–3 (7–2 Big Ten), falling short of College Football Playoff expectations and leaving athletic leadership facing a consequential coaching decision.

Michigan terminated head coach Sherrone Moore after an internal review found “credible evidence” that he had an inappropriate relationship with a staff member.

Hours after the firing, he was detained and later charged by prosecutors with felony third-degree home invasion and misdemeanors, including stalking and breaking and entering. 

The university has said it maintains zero tolerance for the conduct at issue, and an investigation remains ongoing.

On ESPN’s Get Up, Pete Thamel said Michigan has engaged in early conversations and listed three coaches he believes are “in their crosshairs”: Missouri’s Eli Drinkwitz, Washington’s Jedd Fisch, and the soon-to-be former Utah coach Kyle Whittingham.

Thamel also mentioned Louisville’s Jeff Brohm, saying, “My understanding is that Brohm was not in that initial list of candidates that Michigan did talk to. There’s certainly potential they could talk to him, but he was not in their initial target list.”

Thamel also said he did not expect Michigan to make a hire this week or immediately after Christmas.

.@PeteThamel gives an update on Michigan's head coaching search ✍️ pic.twitter.com/OxXixtOds9

— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) December 24, 2025

Brohm is a Louisville alumnus and veteran head coach who spent years as an assistant, offensive coordinator, and quarterbacks coach before taking head coaching roles at Western Kentucky (2014–16), Purdue (2017–22), and Louisville (2023–present).

His head-coaching résumé includes consecutive C-USA titles at WKU, a Big Ten West division title at Purdue, and a 28–12 record across three seasons at Louisville, highlighted by a 10–4 2023 campaign that ended with a No. 19 finish in the final AP Poll.

Louisville Cardinals head coach Jeff Brohm on the sidelines during the game against Kentucky | Matt Stone/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Under Brohm, Louisville closed 2025 with a 9-4 final record after defeating Toledo 27–22 in the Boca Raton Bowl on Tuesday.

During the season, Louisville notched a signature 24–21 road upset of No. 2 Miami, a win that earned Brohm national weekly coach honors, and also defeated James Madison and Pittsburgh, both of which were ranked at points during the season.

Brohm has been linked to the Michigan opening by several outlets due to Louisville’s breakout wins, his Big Ten experience at Purdue, and a track record of offensive success.

While some reports suggest Michigan has vetted or contacted Brohm’s representatives, Thamel emphasized on Get Up that Brohm was not included in the school’s initial shortlist.

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