Louisville’s coach Jeff Brohm ran out onto the field before the game against SMU Scott Utterback/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

ACC Coaches Talk Anonymously About Louisville for 2025

Originally posted on Louisville Cardinals on SI
By Matthew McGavic | Last updated May 24, 2025 11:00 AM ET

Everyone who's even remotely familiar with any aspect of sport is probably well aware of the term "coach speak". Its unofficial definition is "the jargon or pep talks given by sports coaches", and it can be heard at almost every interview and press conference regarding practice, game day and anywhere in between.

Very rarely do coaches freely speak their mind in the public eye, as they usually only divulge their true stances on the opposition among their inner circles or anonymously.

Well that's exactly what the folks over at Athlon Sports did, as they asked the coaching staffs at all 17 ACC programs their true opinions of their conference foes in 2025 under the guise of anonymity.

When it came to discussing Louisville, there was a consistent theme amongst the coaches polled. Head coach Jeff Brohm has been known for his offensive prowess, and the Cardinals head into the 2025 season with a stacked deck on that side of the ball. As you can imagine, most coaches were enamored by their scoring potential, with one going as far to say it could make UofL a "title dark horse."

“Even losing the quarterback-wide receiver combo, this is going to be a fantastic offense.”

“Miller Moss is going to do really well with [Jeff] Brohm. That was a huge, huge get for them in the portal.”

“Even losing [Ja’Corey] Brooks, they’re going to be really strong at wide receiver with the transfers they’ve brought in and returning [Caullin] Lacy.”

“The area of the most concern is probably the secondary, and they lost [Ashton] Gillotte on their defensive line, too. How they handle restocking the defense will determine how far they can go.”

“This is a team that should be considered a title dark horse because of how effective the offense can be in big games. Moss is a veteran who’s played well in a variety of systems. They’re going to score a lot of points.”

Last season, while Louisville did not make a return trip to the ACC Championship Game like they did in year one under Brohm, they still finished with a 9-4 overall record. This included a victory over Washington in the Sun Bowl for Brohm's first postseason win as the coach of his alma mater, and snapping losing streaks to both Clemson and Kentucky.

Despite losing players like Ashton Gillotte, Quincy Riley and Tyler Shough, Louisville is bringing back multiple impact playmakers, such as WR Caullin Lacy, RB Isaac Brown, LB Stanquan Clark, and several others. The Cardinals also bolstered their roster via the portal this offseason, bringing over pieces like USC QB Miller Moss and Coastal Carolina DE Clev Lubin.

Year three of the Brohm era is scheduled to kick off against Eastern Kentucky on Saturday, Aug. 30 at L&N Stadium.