Jeff Brohm, Purdue have work cut out for them as spring practice begins

Like any first-year head coach, Jeff Brohm needs to build trust and familiarity with his new players at Purdue, and vice versa. Since his hiring in early December, however, Brohm hasn't opted for any team-building exercises or creative group outings to speed the bonding process.

Those types of things might come later. Right now, there's too much work to be done.

"At this point, it’s been all about getting our guys in the weight room, getting on the field for mat drills and getting in the meeting room," Brohm said last week. "We're kind of doing it the old-fashioned, step-by-step traditional way."

Brohm's offenses might be flashy -- his Western Kentucky teams were among the highest-scoring…