It feels like a new favorite has started to emerge in the search for the next Michigan football head coach, which is Louisville's Jeff Brohm.
Brohm's name has been picking up steam since Saturday, when Kenny Dillingham agreed to a contract extension with Arizona State, taking himself out of the running.
Michigan insider Sam Webb of 247 Sports says Jeff Brohm is Michigans top choice as of now. Says the two sides spoke yesterday and we should have an answer after tomorrow’s bowl game. https://t.co/mxIoR7ZIER pic.twitter.com/4e3mOyuTN8
— Jeff Lightsy Jr. (@jlightsy7) December 23, 2025
The current Louisville head coach has been in contact with the Michigan football program about its head-coaching position, according to Sam Webb of The Michigan Insider. Webb reports that the two sides have been talking and that more clarity could come after Louisville's bowl game on Tuesday.
"Who is in the crosshairs right now?" Webb said during an interview with CBS Sports. "You have to look at Jeff Brohm. He's been a guy that's been vetted very thoroughly from the beginning. The search firm reached out to him, reached out to his agent. Then, they made direct contact (Michigan and Brohm) Yesterday (Sunday). So how quickly could that escalate? You could see that escalate quite rapidly in the next couple of days. I think you could see Jeff Brohm shoot to the top of the list. If you don't see that escalate, it could fizzle."
So Brohm might be the favorite currently, but that might not last. It didn't with Kalen DeBoer or Kenny Dillingham. Michigan football fans might be underwhelmed at this news. Many view the potential hire of Brohm as settling.
Yet, the long-time head coach for Western Kentucky, Purdue, and Louisville is a proven winner. He's a quarterback guru, and if that means settling, sign me up.
Why Brohm wouldn't be an underwhelming hire for Michigan football
Brohm might not be viewed as elite. He's not a big name or a rising star. However, the only thing he's done as a college football head coach is win.
Whether that was winning double-digit games and a conference championship with Western Kentucky, or leading Purdue to nine wins and the Big Ten title game in 2022, or Louisville to 10 wins and the ACC title game in 2023, Brohm has won everywhere he's gone, consistently.
Dating back to 2021, Brohm has three nine-win seasons with Louisville and Purdue. He's got five consecutive seasons with at least eight wins at two basketball schools. Brohm has also had two quarterbacks drafted under his watch during that time, plus four seasons with a QB throwing for at least 3,000 yards and 20 touchdown passes. Each of his starting quarterbacks did that from 2021 to 2024, with Tyler Shough getting drafted in the second round of the 2025 NFL draft.
You can bet that Michigan football would have been better off last season with Brohm at the helm. Bryce Underwood certainly would be better off. QB development wouldn't be an issue anymore. Brohm does that as well as just about anyone in college football.
Weirdly, he just doesn't get any credit. The man notched two wins over top-10 teams in one season at Purdue. He's consistently done more with less. Could he do more with more?
It's an intriguing idea and why he would be a much better head-coaching candidate for Michigan football than some have been making him out to be.