$49.5M Head Coach Rises on Michigan Search List After Kenny Dillingham News

Michigan’s head coaching search continues to evolve, and with each domino that falls, the picture becomes clearer. Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham officially received a pay raise and contract extension, removing another name from Michigan’s list. Dillingham was viewed as one of the most intriguing long-term options, but his commitment to ASU has forced the Wolverines to adjust their approach.

With top-tier options thinning out, attention has shifted to another proven Power Four head coach: Louisville’s Jeff Brohm.

Why Jeff Brohm Is Rising on Michigan’s List?

Brohm, currently sitting on a massive $49.5 million contract commitment, has quietly built one of the more impressive résumés among available candidates. In three seasons at his alma mater, he’s compiled a 27–12 overall record, including a 16–8 mark in ACC play. Despite that success, reaction among Michigan fans has been mixed, similar to the skepticism that surrounded Jedd Fisch earlier in the search.

Said the day Sherrone Moore was fired, I believed Jeff Brohm was the one coach who wouldnt say no to Michigan (he might be at Penn State right now if circumstances were a little different).

With Kenny Dillingham off the board, I believe he moves to the top of the list pic.twitter.com/fXRH7cgaCw

— Aaron Torres (@Aaron_Torres) December 20, 2025

That skepticism may be misplaced. While Brohm may feel like the “floor” of Michigan’s coaching search, that floor is considerably high.

Over his career at Western Kentucky, Purdue, and Louisville, Brohm has led three different programs to conference championship games and multiple winning seasons. He has won 10 games at Louisville and nine at Purdue, consistently fielding competitive teams without relying on overwhelming talent advantages.

Brohm’s strength lies in development and structure. Known as a quarterback-friendly coach, he has seven ranked wins over the past five seasons and has consistently elevated teams beyond preseason expectations. Consistency has occasionally been an issue, but Michigan’s resources, recruiting base, and institutional support could help unlock the most complete version of Brohm as a head coach.

His recent track record at Louisville further supports that idea. The Cardinals posted 10 wins in 2023, 9 wins in 2024, and 8 wins in 2025, all without elite quarterback play. In 2025, Miller Moss posted a PFSN QB impact grade of 78.4. Tyler Shough graded at 77.5 in 2024, while Jack Plummer finished at 72.7 during the 2023 season. Solid, competent quarterbacking, but nothing that would be considered star-driven.

That’s the key point: Brohm has consistently gotten more out of his teams than the sum of their parts. Louisville remained in the ACC Championship and CFP conversation deep into the season before ultimately falling just short.

Why He Could Be the Right Fit in Ann Arbor

Despite his offensive background, Brohm also showed flexibility in 2025. Louisville’s offense earned a PFSN impact grade of 77.9 (52nd nationally), while the defense posted an impressive 86.2 grade, 16th best in the country. In several key moments, the defense carried the team when the offense sputtered, illustrating Brohm’s ability to adapt his identity to his roster.

A Brohm-to-Michigan hire may not be the splashy, headline-grabbing move some fans envisioned, but context matters. Given the circumstances of this coaching cycle, it would be a smart, stable, and forward-thinking decision.

This wouldn’t be a backup plan; it would be Michigan choosing a proven program builder who knows how to win with structure, development, and balance. In a job with Michigan’s resources and expectations, Jeff Brohm could be precisely the right fit at exactly the right time.