Jeff Brohm is out the door and heading back home to Louisville. His 6 years at Purdue were a mixture of good times, bad times, developing stud NFL prospects, and some disappointment. He leaves the Boilermakers on the upswing, though, in a season where they won the Big Ten West, put up a fight against Michigan in the conference title game, and qualified for the Citrus Bowl where they’ll face LSU. Here are 5 possible replacements for Brohm in West Lafayette.
Kevin Sumlin, Houston Gamblers (USFL) Head Coach
The Boilermaker alumni Sumlin was once considered a top coach in America but a poor ending at Texas A&M and a torrid tenure at Arizona have dented that reputation. Still, having coached prominent QB’s such as Case Keenum and Heisman winner Johnny Manziel, Sumlin’s resume and past success may put him in contention for this job. Sumlin boasts an impressive overall FBS head coaching record of 95-63.
Troy Calhoun, Air Force Head Coach
Calhoun just finished his 16th regular season with the Falcons and earned a trip to the Armed Forces Bowl, his 12th bowl appearance. The thought of a triple option, service academy, coach going to Purdue might seem odd on the face but Calhoun has said before that he would be adaptable and change when needed. His resume includes stops as an assistant at Ohio, Wake Forest, and in the NFL with Houston and Denver. Calhoun may be a guy to watch in this search.
Tyson Helton, Western Kentucky Head Coach
Tyson just finished his fourth regular season leading the Hilltoppers where he has a 31-21 career record and a bowl appearance every season. A former Brohm assistant who replaced him at WKU, he has mentored some high-flying offenses led by QB’s Bailey Zappe and Austin Reed. His work with QB’s could be his ticket to a P5 job.
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Mike Denbrock, LSU Offensive Coordinator
Current LSU offensive coordinator Denbrock brings plenty of midwest and P5 experience with him. Stints at Notre Dame, Cincinnati, Stanford, and Washington make him a candidate for jobs that may open up. The longtime Brian Kelly and Luke Fickell assistant has been amongst the most consistent offensive minds in the game over the past decade. Purdue has a history of targeting offensive-minded coaches, could this be Denbrock’s first chance as a HC?
JaMarcus Shephard, Washington Associate HC, and Pass Game Coordinator
Former Purdue assistant Shephard was a part of Kalen DeBoer’s first staff at Washington and had a hand in their high-powered offense. Long stints at Western Kentucky under Taggart, Petrino, and Brohm before going to Washington State then Purdue make his resume impressive. Shepherd may be a guy the Boilermakers offer, especially after seeing the quick turnaround he was part of in Seattle this past year.
