Western Kentucky Hilltoppers head coach Jeff Brohm jogs off the field after Western Kentucky's 14-12 win over Vanderbilt on Thursday, Sept. 3, 2015, at Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville. (Austin Anthony / photo@bgdailynews.com)

As Western Kentucky coach Jeff Brohm’s name gains steam for at least one open job at Virginia, he talked Thursday morning in a radio interview on 102.5 The Game in Nashville about his excitement for building the Hilltopper program.

“I feel like we’ve got great people here,” Brohm said. “We’ve got great young coaches. We’ve got people that care about winning. They care about the players here. They like living here. They like knowing we’re a growing program with room to improve, room to grow. If we continue to do the same things we’re doing now and work hard at it, we’re going to continue to elevate this program. And really, that’s what makes you feel good. Sometimes you can be at a great program, and they’ve already done this and that. Now you just kind of keep it at that level.

“Here we’ve got a chance to grow. We’ve got a chance to improve and get better. It’s enjoyable to watch it happen.”

Brohm said that “without question” a deterrent to leaving WKU for him is passing up the chance to help build a legacy with the program.

“This is kind of a chance to put your name and your stamp on something and to make it grow, and to be the guy that has helped do that,” he said. “It’s an exciting time here.”

Brohm compared it to his former coach at Louisville, Howard Schnellenberger, who took the Cardinals from the brink of extinction and turned them into a program with momentum.

Brohm said Louisville is now one of the best programs in the country.

“We’ve got a chance to do that,” he said. “Now, it might take a little while, and it may take a process, but I think we’ve got the pieces in place. We’ve got great leadership. We’ve got great people here. It’s a great college town, it’s a great campus.”

— Zach Greenwell