Brohm Named Playboy All-American, Graces Sporting News Cover

That Kragthorpe does. It's one of the biggest -- and most welcome -- differences between him and his predecessor, new Atlanta Falcons boss Bobby Petrino. Inside the walls of the Louisville football program, Petrino, often stone-cold and addicted to X's and O's, was neither well-known nor particularly well-liked. Kragthorpe, the 41-year-old architect of an amazing turnaround at Tulsa, has swept away the eggshells.

"He has a personality everyone can love and relate to," says senior quarterback Brian Brohm, who speaks for this team as only the most important player in program history can. "I guess you would call him a players coach. He knows how to relate to the players. It's like hanging out with one of the guys."...

Quite telling are comments from Victor Anderson, a running back from Louisville high school powerhouse St. Xavier, in an interview with Rivals. "There's a big difference between the old coaching staff and the new one," says Anderson, ranked 10th nationally among all-purpose backs by the recruiting service. "I'm not saying I didn't like the old coaches, but the new ones are more interactive with the players and they all have great personalities."

Petrino may have been a short-timer from the moment he arrived in Louisville, but there is no denying his place in Cardinals history. After taking the torch in 2003 from John L. Smith -- whom Petrino worked for at three schools -- the steely-eyed offensive genius became the best football coach U of L ever had. Better even than Schnellenberger, who left in 1995 on a 22-23 slide after the program had first peaked in 1990. Petrino left Louisville after a 12-1 season, having set up the Cardinals for a run at a national championship -- ostensibly, the only higher ground to which Kragthorpe could lead them. Pretty much nowhere to go but down, right?

"I just don't see it that way," he says. "Some of the most rewarding seasons I've had in football were with teams that didn't have great records."

The words of a very nice man. But is he too nice for his own good? Say this for Petrino: He figured somebody had to be the bad guy -- "College kids will take advantage of every inch you give them," a longtime U of L athletic department staffer says -- and Petrino was willing for it to be him. Perhaps that brought his players closer to one another. Might they become too close to a coach who is "one of the guys"?

Kragthorpe is annoyed by the question -- "My players will know who I am and what I expect from them," he says -- because he has heard it several times already since taking the job. (One reason it keeps coming up: Kragthorpe's signing linebacker Willie Williams, the ex-Miami five-star recruit known better for his rap sheet than his on-field performance.) Jurich calls his coach a "strong disciplinarian."

In every area, Kragthorpe is off to a dazzling start. His players are wild about him. Area high school coaches trust him. His quarterback is a firm believer in the Cardinals' offense, which will continue to feature the pass but mix in more of the short, timing throws Brohm will have to make at the next level.

Perhaps most important -- particularly after the Petrino experience -- Louisville believes it has found a football coach who will stick around long enough to make sure the program's current success sticks. "He wants a place he can stay 20 years," Jurich says. "He was looking for a place to love."

For now, Louisville is ready to love him back. Up, up and away.