LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Louisville and football coach Jeff Brohm have agreed to a new contract that runs through the 2033 season and will pay an average of $8.1 million annually in base salary and retention payments.
The school announced the agreement Thursday, coming after Brohm has led Louisville to 28 wins in three seasons with his alma mater. That included the program's lone appearance in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game in 2023.
Brohm's current deal was set to pay an average of roughly $6.5 million in salary and retention payments through the 2030 season. The agreement approved Thursday by the school's athletic association starts with new financial terms for this fall, revised performance bonuses, a temporary larger buyout if Brohm left for another job before 2028, and additional money for hiring staff.
The deal is capped at up to $12 million in a single year in salary, retention payments and success incentives.
“This extension reflects the dedication and commitment of our players and staff,” Brohm said in a statement from the school. "We’ve made meaningful progress the past three seasons, and we look forward to continuing to pursue higher goals.
"We are committed to putting in the work that is necessary to consistently compete for championships and play an exciting brand of football. We are proud of where we are but even more excited for the future that lies ahead.”
While Brohm will see a $500,000 bump to nearly $6.6 million for the upcoming season in the new deal, the biggest gains come in the following three seasons. Brohm is set to make just shy of $8 million in 2027 (up from $6.4 million); $8.3 million in 2028 and $8.4 million in 2029 (up from $6.5 million for each of those seasons); then $8.5 million (up from $7 million) in 2030, according to a copy of the term sheet.
Those payments — peaking at $8.7 million in 2032 — include retention bonuses if Brohm is still at Louisville at the end of each year, hitting $1 million annually starting Dec. 31, 2028.
Additionally, Brohm will add $750,000 to the $5.5 million pool for hiring football staff such as assistant coaches, quality-control staffers and strength coaches. And the buyout that was originally $1 million through 2030 rises to $3 million if Brohm leaves before the end of 2027 before returning to $1 million from there.
As for incentives, reaching the College Football Playoff would go from being a performance bonus to an increase in Brohm's annual base salary, from $500,000 for a bid to $2 million for winning the CFP title.
The Louisville native is 28-12 in his three seasons, winning 10 games in 2023 followed by nine in each of the past two seasons. That made him only the second coach in school history to win at least nine games in three straight seasons.
“Over the past three seasons, Jeff has clearly demonstrated that he is the right person to lead our football program, now and into the future,” athletic director Josh Heird said in a statement.
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