Charlie Strong
| Charlie Strong | |
|---|---|
| Sport(s) | Football |
| Current position | |
| Title | Head coach |
| Team | Texas |
| Record | 0–0 |
| Biographical details | |
| Born |
August 2, 1960 Batesville, Arkansas |
| Playing career | |
| 1980–1983 | Central Arkansas |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1983–1984 1985 1986–1987 1988–1989 1990 1991–1994 1995–1998 1999–2001 2002–2004 2004 2003-2009 2010–2013 2014–present |
Florida (GA) Texas A&M (GA) Southern Illinois (WR) Florida (OLB) Ole Miss (WR) Florida (Asst. HC/DT) Notre Dame (DE / DT) South Carolina (DC) Florida (DC/DE) Florida (Interim HC) Florida (Asst. HC/Co-DC/LB) Louisville Texas |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 37–16 (.698) |
| Bowls | 3–2 |
|
Statistics College Football Data Warehouse | |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
|
Championships 2 Big East (2011, 2012) | |
Charles R. Strong (born August 2, 1960) is currently an American football head coach for the University of Texas Longhorns. Strong is a graduate of the University of Central Arkansas, where he was a football player from 1980-1983. Strong held numerous assistant coaching jobs before becoming the head coach of the Louisville Cardinals in 2010. During his four year stint, he led the Cardinals to a 37–15 record, ending each season with a bowl game. On January 5, 2014, Louisville Athletic Director Tom Jurich announced that Strong would be leaving Louisville to become the next head coach at Texas.[1]
Early life
Charlie Strong was born in Batesville, Arkansas. After lettering for four years (1980–1983) at the University of Central Arkansas, Strong joined the University of Florida coaching staff as a graduate assistant in 1984[citation needed]. He later served as a graduate assistant at Texas A&M in 1985. He received a master's degree from Henderson State University[2] and also received a master's degree and education specialist degree from the University of Florida. He is a member of Phi Beta Sigma fraternity.
Coaching career
Early positions
Strong's first full-time coaching job was at Southern Illinois in 1986, where he coached wide receivers. He later assumed defensive coaching duties at Florida, Ole Miss, and Notre Dame.
South Carolina
In 1999, Strong joined the South Carolina Gamecocks as defensive coordinator. His stifling defenses and charismatic personality created buzz that he would be possibly the first black head coach in the SEC, but job offers were slim. Sylvester Croom eventually broke the color barrier in the SEC coaching ranks in 2004[citation needed].
Florida
Strong was hired as defensive coordinator for the Florida Gators before the 2002 season. Florida head coach Ron Zook was fired midway through the Gators' 2004 season, but continued to coach until the bowl game; Strong served as interim coach of the Gators for one game, the December 2004 Peach Bowl. Florida lost the game, 27–10, to Miami. When Urban Meyer was hired as Florida's head coach, Strong was the only assistant coach retained from Zook's staff.
In a January 2009 interview with the Orlando Sentinel, Strong expressed his belief that race played a large part in the reason that he hadn't been offered a head coaching job at that point. Strong, whose wife is white, especially cited prospective employers' discomfort with his interracial relationship.[3]
Louisville
He became the 21st head football coach at the University of Louisville on December 9, 2009.[4] In a telephone interview that day with ESPN.com columnist Pat Forde, former Indianapolis Colts head coach Tony Dungy, himself African American, said of Strong, "When they see what he can do, you're probably going to have a lot of people disappointed they didn't hire him sooner."
Strong led Louisville to a victory in the 2013 Sugar Bowl over his former team, the Florida Gators, by a final score of 33-23.[5] It was the biggest upset victory in terms of point spread in any BCS bowl game since the inception of the BCS in 1998, as Florida entered the game favored by almost two touchdowns.
On January 23, 2013, Strong was given a $1.4 million raise which brought his annual compensation to $3.7 million and raised his buyout to $5 million. [6] At the time it made him 7th highest paid active coach in college football and highest paid coach outside the SEC, Big 12, and Big Ten conferences. [7]
Texas
On January 5, 2014, the University of Texas announced that Charlie Strong would be leaving the University of Louisville to accept the head football coach position at Texas. [8] Strong's 5-year contract is worth $5 million annually.[9] He was formally introduced as Texas' 29th head coach the next day. He is the first black head coach of any men's team at Texas.
UT Athletic Director Steve Patterson and UT President Bill Powers stated their reasons for hiring Charlie Strong for the head coaching position was due to Strong's commitment to the tradition of the UT Football program as well as the development of the student-athletes. [10] Strong discussed his devotion to his athletes in his first press conference as the head coach of Texas, "I want to see [the players] develop on the field as well as off the field...The program is always going to be about physical and mental toughness." [10]
Personal life
Strong was born August 2, 1960 in Batesville, Arkansas. He and his wife, Victoria, have two daughters, Hailee and Hope; he has a son, Tory, from a previous relationship.[11]
Head coaching record
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | Coaches# | AP° | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ' () (–present) | |||||||||
| 2004 | Florida | 0–1 | 0–0 | L Peach | |||||
| Florida: | 0–1 | 0–0 | |||||||
| Louisville Cardinals (Big East / American Athletic Conference) (2010–2013) | |||||||||
| 2010 | Louisville | 7–6 | 3–4 | T–5th | W Beef 'O' Brady's | ||||
| 2011 | Louisville | 7–6 | 5–2 | T–1st | L Belk | ||||
| 2012 | Louisville | 11–2 | 5–2 | T–1st | W Sugar† | 13 | 13 | ||
| 2013 | Louisville | 12–1 | 7–1 | 2nd | W Russell Athletic | 15 | 15 | ||
| Louisville: | 37–15 | 20–9 | |||||||
| Texas Longhorns (Big 12 Conference) (2014–present) | |||||||||
| 2014 | Texas | 0–0 | 0–0 | ||||||
| Texas: | 0–0 | 0–0 | |||||||
| Total: | 37–16 | ||||||||
| National championship Conference title Conference division title | |||||||||
| †Indicates BCS bowl, Bowl Alliance or Bowl Coalition game. #Rankings from final Coaches' Poll. °Rankings from final AP Poll. | |||||||||
See also
- Florida Gators
- List of Florida Gators head football coaches
- List of University of Florida alumni
- Louisville Cardinals
References
- ↑ "It's official: Charlie Strong to Texas - NCAA Football". Sporting News. January 5, 2014. Retrieved January 15, 2014.
- ↑ http://kentuckypreps.rivals.com/viewcoach.asp?Coach=288
- ↑ "Florida Coach Charlie Strong Believes that Race Affected Opportunities," Sports Illustrated (January 6, 2009).
- ↑ "Florida assistant Strong heading to Louisville - ESPN". Sports.espn.go.com. December 11, 2009. Retrieved January 15, 2014.
- ↑ "Charlie Strong and Louisville Cardinals are glad he stayed - college football - ESPN". Espn.go.com. January 3, 2013. Retrieved January 15, 2014.
- ↑ Louisville Courier-Journal 4:55 p.m. EST January 23, 2013 (January 23, 2013). "Charlie Strong's $1.4M raise makes him among highest-paid coaches". Usatoday.com. Retrieved January 15, 2014.
- ↑ USATODAY July 1, 2013 (July 1, 2013). "USA TODAY Sports college football coaches salaries database". Usatoday.com. Retrieved January 15, 2014.
- ↑ "Charlie Strong Named Texas Head Football Coach | News". Utexas.edu. January 9, 2014. Retrieved January 15, 2014.
- ↑ Pete Thamel (January 4, 2014). "Texas, Charlie Strong in negotiations for Longhorns' coaching job - College Football - Pete Thamel - SI.com". Sportsillustrated.cnn.com. Retrieved January 15, 2014.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Madden, Ted (January 6, 2014). "UT introduces Charlie Strong as new Longhorns coach | kvue.com Austin". Kvue.com. Retrieved January 15, 2014.
- ↑ Charlie Strong. "Charlie Strong Bio - Louisville Cardinals Official Athletic Site". Gocards.com. Retrieved January 15, 2014.
External links
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