Bobby Petrino quickly turned into the Butch Jones of the 2018 coaching cycle.
His employer didn't want to fire him. His contract strongly favored him keeping the job in 2019. But as the weeks went by and the embarrassing losses piled up and the team began to unravel, it became clear what the school must do. Louisville had no other choice but to fire Petrino on Sunday, two days after the Cardinals slipped to 2-8 with a 54-23 loss at No. 13 Syracuse. Petrino, the school's coaching-wins leader at 77-35, is done after his second stint with the Cardinals.
The goal now for Louisville is to be better at finding Petrino's replacement than Tennessee was with finding Jones' successor. Here's a hint for U of L: Follow the Nebraska plan.
If Petrino and Jones are linked, so are Jeff Brohm and Scott Frost. Last year, Nebraska targeted Frost, its native son, and brought him home to revive a declining program. Louisville undoubtedly will do the same with Brohm, a former Louisville quarterback and assistant coach who grew up in the city and whose family, led by patriarch Oscar Brohm, is football royalty there.
Here's why so many are viewing Louisville's coaching search as Brohm or Bust:
The second-year Purdue coach's roots in Louisville, plus his 42-21 record as an FBS coach at Purdue and Western Kentucky, make this as natural a fit as you can get.
As painful as it will be to pay out Petrino's horrendous contract -- he's owed more than $14 million with no offset or mitigation -- the sting will wear off if the school hires Brohm. As multiple industry sources noted Sunday, Louisville's coaching search starts -- and, if they're lucky, ends -- with Brohm.
"I just think they will do everything they can to get Brohm," an industry source said.
What stands in Louisville's way? There's money, of course, as Brohm would owe Purdue $4.4 million if he leaves before Dec. 5 and $3.3 million if he leaves after that date. I'm also told that Brohm, while competitive, likes the commitment Purdue had made to him and the program. Also, he likes having a fairly navigable path to the league title game in the winnable Big Ten West division. Louisville plays in the ACC Atlantic, where Clemson rules supreme, but the division isn't overly daunting, as Florida State is declining and schools such as NC State, Boston College and Syracuse have been up and down.
It also would be interesting how Louisville would address Brohm and his brothers -- younger brother Brian, another former Louisville QB, is Purdue's offensive coordinator, while older brother Greg is chief of staff -- as a package deal, especially with the increased scrutiny Petrino received for having his son and two sons-in-law on staff.
But overall, this makes too much sense. Brohm and athletic director Vince Tyra both attended Trinity High School. Shawn Freibert, Brohm's agent and longtime friend, also went to Trinity. Both Tyra and Freibert were star baseball players for Trinity and in college (Tyra at Kentucky and Freibert at Louisville). Brohm's teenage son, the ever-quotable Brady Brohm, could attend the same high school as his dad, uncles and grandfather. That's pretty cool and hard to pass up.
The big question: If it's not Brohm, where does Louisville turn? I fully expect Tyra to target current head coaches or those with head-coaching experience. Given the turbulence around the team and the school, this isn't a gig for a first-time head coach.
Here are a few possible non-Brohm candidates for Louisville:
Neal Brown, Troy: Brown has quickly established himself as one of the top young coaches in the sport. He's 33-15 overall and 29-7 since 2016 -- one of four FBS coaches to win at least 80 percent of his games during that span (the others: Nick Saban, Dabo Swinney and Urban Meyer). Brown has led Troy to Sun Belt success and recorded signature non-league wins over LSU (2017) and Nebraska (2018). He's also a Kentucky native, and while he played and coached for Louisville's in-state rival in Lexington, he understands the landscape. Like Brohm, Brown is a dynamic offensive mind who, at 27, became the youngest coordinator in the FBS.
Luke Fickell, Cincinnati: Fickell has elevated his stock with an incredible second season at Cincinnati, which improved to 9-1 (its only loss came in overtime at Temple) after Saturday's win against South Florida. He's already in the region and has long been regarded as an elite recruiter, especially in Ohio. Fickell would be able to challenge Kentucky's Mark Stoops on the trail, and he would restore a defensive edge sorely lacking at Louisville the past two seasons.
Scott Satterfield, Appalachian State: The Power 5 team that gives Satterfield a chance likely won't be sorry. He's 48-24 at his alma mater, which has transitioned seamlessly from the FCS to the FBS, winning two Sun Belt titles. Satterfield is a talented offensive coach but also doesn't neglect the defensive side, where coordinator Bryan Brown is quickly making a name for himself. Although Satterfield is somewhat tied to the Carolinas, an ACC job would allow him to keep recruiting his native area.
Jason Candle, Toledo: Candle's stock was higher last season when he led Toledo to a Mid-American Conference title. Despite a 5-5 record this year, Candle is 26-12 overall with the Rockets and would bring a smart offensive approach and a consistent presence to Louisville. He can coach and develop quarterbacks, and his lineage as a Mount Union player and Matt Campbell's right-hand man at Toledo add to his profile.
Bill Clark, UAB: It's remarkable what Clark is doing with a program that returned to competition only last season after a two-year hiatus. UAB went 8-5 in 2017 and made its first bowl game in 13 years. The Blazers are now closing in on a Conference USA title at 9-1 (7-0 in league play). Clark is very much tied to the state of Alabama as a former longtime high school coach there. He might struggle in unfamiliar territory, but Louisville should at least take a look.
Skip Holtz, Louisiana Tech: Holtz is likely a long shot, but his recent track record merits further examination by Power 5 schools seeking coaches. He's 45-31 at Louisiana Tech, positioned for possibly his fourth season of nine or more wins in the past five. Holtz was in the mix at Purdue when Brohm got the job and could once again be a solid fallback option if Louisville can't land Brohm.
While I highly doubt Louisville goes with a coordinator, some options there include Ohio State offensive coordinator Ryan Day, Notre Dame offensive coordinator Chip Long and Miami defensive coordinator Manny Diaz.