Jeff Brohm leads Louisville to ACC title game in first season - ESPN

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — After the final seconds ticked off the clock in a down-to-the-wire 38-31 win over Miami on Saturday, jubilant Louisville players ran onto the field and started screaming, 'First year! We're going to that 'ship!' Near midfield, coach Jeff Brohm finished up a television interview — his daughter by his side — and then got a hug from his beaming dad, Oscar.

What Brohm did in his first year as Louisville coach will go down in school history as the literal stuff of legends.

Brohm returned to Louisville to lead his hometown team, to a hero's welcome, and has guided the No. 10 Cardinals (10-1) to their first ACC championship game appearance. In doing so, Brohm becomes the first Power 5 coach to take different teams to back-to-back conference championship games in consecutive years — having done it with Purdue last year in the Big Ten.

When asked what that accomplishment meant to him during his postgame interview, Brohm admitted he had no idea he was the first to do that. It should be noted Jamey Chadwell has also done it, with Coastal Carolina and Liberty.

«That does mean a lot to be quite honest with you,» Brohm said. «Being at Purdue, we worked hard to win games. Getting to the Big Ten championship was as good as any accomplishment I had there, and we had some big wins. So, we come here, Year 1, to find a way to get to this championship game means a whole lot.

»It just shows that if you're willing to put in the work, surround yourself with good people, allow others to buy in and work together, take the blame when things aren't going well, good things can normally happen."

Louisville had to fight to clinch its spot against Florida State, needing its fourth comeback victory of the season. Miami stymied the