Louisville football earned its ninth win of the 2025 season as the Cards defeated Toledo in the Boca Raton Bowl yesterday afternoon. Louisville has officially earned at least nine wins in every season under head coach Jeff Brohm, improving his record with the Cardinals to 28-12.
Brohm has had a significant impact with the Cardinals since taking over his alma mater in 2023, including leading Louisville to its lone ACC Championship game in his first season as the Cards' head coach. Since that first season, Louisville has had two straight 9-4 seasons, and Brohm has consistently flown under the radar until this season, when he has been in the mix in multiple coaching searches.
The coaching carousel has highlighted the 2025 season, and Louisville avoided Brohm going to Florida, LSU, and Penn State, but the fans feel much more pressure about the Michigan search. Well, Louisville fans just got a massive boost from College Football Senior Writer for ESPN, Pete Thamel, as he just listed the top three candidates for Michigan, and Brohm was not on it.
Related: Louisville fans' panic meter maxed out after latest Jeff Brohm to Michigan rumors
Pete Thamel's latest report on Michigan-Jeff Brohm rumors
The Cards were reportedly looking to extend Brohm's contract three weeks ago, but since that report, nothing has come of it. Louisville fans are begging Josh Heird to give Brohm the raise and extension he deserves, but as Brohm still awaits his deserved extension, he has emerged as a top target for this coveted Michigan job.
Before the bowl game, 247Sports' Sam Webb reported that Michigan contacted Brohm and that Louisville and Michigan fans would get an answer shortly after the bowl game. Similar to earlier in the season, Brohm gave an answer that didn't offer Louisville fans much hope, stating, "I don't speak on other jobs, but I'm happy with this one."
Well, Louisville fans are going to take a big sigh of relief this Christmas Eve morning, as Thamel listed the top three targets in the Michigan search, and the Cards' head coach wasn't on it.
"Pushing forward on Michigan, here is what we know about where they are," Thamel stated on GetUp. "There's three candidates right now that are in their crosshairs. That is Eliah Drinkwitz's, the Missouri coach, Jedd Fisch, the Washington coach, and obviously soon to be former Utah coach, Kyle Whittingham."
.@PeteThamel gives an update on Michigan's head coaching search ✍️ pic.twitter.com/OxXixtOds9
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) December 24, 2025
Brohm not being in Michigan's top three is a significant sigh of relief for the fans and the program, but the Cards have to move quickly to extend him and give him the pay raise he deserves. Thamel reported on Brohm and delivered some good news for Cardinals fans.
"Obviously, Louis mentioned Jeff Brohm," Thamel stated. "My understanding is Brohm is not in that initial list of candidates that Michigan did talk to. There is certainly potential they could talk to him, but he was not in their initial target."
Louisville fans will be on edge about this Michigan hire until either the Cards give Brohm that extension and raise, or Michigan hires its next coach. It has been a stressful 48 hours for Louisville fans, to say the least, and according to Thamel, Michigan isn't likely to hire its coach before Christmas or immediatley after.
But Brohm not being in that top three is a huge relief for Louisville fans, and hopefully the Cards can keep their coach after this chaotic season.