Purdue coach Jeff Brohm will miss the season opener Saturday against Iowa after testing positive for COVID-19, he confirmed Monday.
Younger brother Brian Brohm, the Boilermakers’ co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, will handle the game-day decisions and serve as acting head coach against the visiting Hawkeyes.
“Unfortunately it got me,” he said. “Now I have to recuperate as fast as I can.”
Big Ten rules require Jeff Brohm to remain in isolation for at least 10 days and then would allow him to return if he has been symptom-free for 24 hours.
As for the effect his absence might have against Iowa, Jeff Brohm said, “I don’t think it affects (the team’s) momentum whatsoever. Our guys are ready to play. I think everyone across the country in the Big Ten to ready to play football. …
“Unfortunately it got me and we have to adjust, but I’m just a coach. We have many other coaches on our team and they do a great job working with our guys on a daily basis and they’ll do a great job come game day, so I have great confidence that our team will respond and go out there and play hard against a good Iowa football team.”
Brohm, 49, has a record of 17-21 at Purdue as he enters his fourth season with the Boilermakers. He is 47-31 overall as a college head coach, including his three-year stint at Western Kentucky.
Other FBS coaches who have tested positive for COVID-19 include Florida’s Dan Mullen, Florida State’s Mike Norvell, Arizona’s Kevin Sumlin and Les Miles of Kansas. Alabama’s Nick Saban initially tested positive but was able to coach against Georgia on Saturday after multiple negative follow-up tests deemed it a false positive.
–Field Level Media
