In an overtime game between Louisville and California, the 29-26 score wasn’t just what made the headlines. The real shocker was what happened after. Louisville head coach Jeff Brohm and quarterback Miller Moss received life-threatening messages before the fans even left the stadium. After police got involved, the investigation led to one individual named Brian Mandel.

After he was caught, Brian Mandel was sent before the court to plead his case. While he initially pleaded not guilty in Jefferson County Circuit Court to multiple felony charges, he ultimately pleaded guilty to threatening Jeff Brohm and Miller Moss, to one count of terroristic threatening. The plea deal was agreed upon between the Commonwealth and defense attorney Steve Romines and was overseen by Jefferson Circuit Judge Tracy Davis.

As part of the plea deal agreement, six additional counts were dismissed, including five other terroristic threatening charges and one count of criminal attempt to commit theft by extortion over $10,000. That’s because second-degree terroristic threatening is classified as a felony.

Brian Mandel, who is a former vice chair of the Corpus Christi Planning Commission, comes from an influential family. His father, Scott Mandel, is a businessman who is running as a Republican candidate in the race for Texas’s 34th Congressional District. According to his campaign website, Scott previously served as a sheriff’s deputy, detective, commander of a specialized crime and narcotics task force, and has managed federal detention facilities.

While justice has been served, some may not know the full story. Mandel, a sports bettor, had placed an $80,000 wager on Louisville to win the game. However, when California’s Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele threw the game-winning 3-yard touchdown pass to Jacob De Jesus in overtime, it was all over. Frustrated by the outcome of his bet, Mandel later sent death threats to Jeff Brohm and Miller Moss.

Evidence that delivered justice to Jeff Brohm and Miller Moss

Shortly after the game ended, Mandel sent his first threatening message to Jeff Brohm. As reported by The Courier Journal, the message read:

“I am going to find and kill you and your entire (expletive) family, you piece of (expletive), …”

Another message was heavily redacted in a University of Louisville Police report obtained by The Courier Journal through Kentucky’s open records law. While the report did not specify the platform used, Louisville spokesperson John Karman said the alleged threats were sent via text message. According to the indictment, Mandel made “terroristic” threats against Brohm, his wife, his children, and his brother Brian, and Miller Moss. The messages created a “fear of death or serious physical injury,” the indictment stated.

After being indicted by a grand jury on seven charges, Mandel resigned from the Corpus Christi Planning Commission and was arrested by Louisville police on November 11.

Moss later addressed the incident.

“The death threat thing is crazy,” Moss told The Courier Journal. “It was a little scary. I could get on my soapbox about sports gambling and the negative effects of that, but I’m not. That’s for another day.”

As the case moved forward, Brohm could at least take relief in knowing the matter was handled legally. Criticism is part of being a head coach, but threats to someone’s life cross a line.