Life lessons.

Turns out Charlie Strong had been talking about the football coaching job at the University of Texas for weeks, telling his athletic director, assistants, players and fans there was no substance to the rumors.

Charlie Strong
Charlie Strong

“I’ve got a good job here,” he kept telling them, leading people to believe he had no interest in leaving.

Last week, however, Strong told the Longhorn TV Network that discussions began right after Mack Brown announced his resignation, saying he denied the reports because he didn’t want it to become a distraction during the days leading up to the Russell Athletic Bowl.

Lied about it, at least to everyone outside of his immediate family … and the daughters’ volleyball team, which apparently knew about it before Tom Jurich flew back from Colorado to meet with Strong. All that way, we’re told, because the coach still hadn’t made up his mind.  Jurich said he knew as soon as walked into Strong’s house that he was gone.

Left town without taking the time to meet with the players and assistant coaches.

After his departure, there have been reports of Strong attempting to lure some UofL recruits to Texas. Not all that unusual. What was out of the norm was that some incoming assistants were initially unable to find contact information for some recruits, making it difficult to build relationships.

During his tenure here, he often spoke about coaching continuity, keeping the staff together, but then he leaves for Austin without saying anything to some of them, apparently no explanations, no good lucks or best wishes, leaving them to fend for themselves.

The message for assistant coaches and players: It’s okay to lie to friends and supporters as you walk over them as long as it’s for self-enrichment and personal glory.

Got it, coach.

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By Charlie Springer

Charlie Springer is a former Louisville editor and sportswriter, a public affairs consultant, a UofL grad and longtime fan.

14 thoughts on “Charlie Strong still teaching on the way out”
  1. Recruiting info was gathered at the expense of the University of Louisville. That paperwork was property of The University of Louisville. It wouldn’t be as big a deal if he had just made copies and left the originals but if it is true that he took it leaving nothing for the incoming staff, I believe that to be near criminal.

  2. CCS said to Tom Jurich,”I am not cut like that”! if, you believe that I have swamp land in Florida that I will sell to you. Wait a minute Charlie Strong did sell his swamp land in Florida to the university, City and fans of Louisville! Say it ain’t so Charlie!

  3. What about the volleyball team knowing? His daughters would know dont you think? How did you find that out lol

  4. Don’t know if Petrino spoke to his WKU players or not but before he left UofL in Jan 2007 he told his players he was taking the Falcons job.

    1. Petrino didn’t tell his players he was leaving for the Falcons job. He left a few notes in their lockers, most saw on the news like the rest of us.

      1. Dizzle that,s what everybody thinks happened at Falcons but Joe B. Hall says his son in law Mike Summers states Petrino was shut out of facility after owners broke their promise of letting Bobby have total control of roster. Causing Booby to eventually exit. Wish press would set the record straight!

  5. This is a normal part of coaching. Did Petrino talk to his WKU team before he left?

    I can tell you that when HLS left for Oklahoma he did not talk to the team, when Jurich fired Cooper they never gave him a chance to talk to the team.

    I think everyone was hoping Strong would be another Crum or Pitino and he wasn’t. The fact that he didn’t talk to the team just feels like salt in the wound but I believe this happens more often than most would think.

  6. I guess we now know why some of the sports books made him such a big favorite for the Texas job in mid-December while our team prepared for a bowl game against Miami. Many of us laughed, rolled our eyes and joked about betting large amounts that he’d never get the job but it looks like the wise guys knew more than we did.

    Like I commented in Mr. Springer’s “Seven Signs” post from last weekend, he proved himself to be no different than every other mercenary coach. He simply did a better job than most in showing the media what he wanted them to see. I don’t have as much of a problem with him contacting our recruits as I do him not meeting with the members of the team that were on campus before he left town. I get that Texas wanted to get him in front of the cameras as soon as possible but it wasn’t like they were going to pull the offer if the private jet had to wait a few more hours while he met with some of the players responsible for his success here.

  7. He did a pretty good job when he was here (with some doubts about special teams all year), and he waited until the end of the season (almost) before going public. So what if he tries to take our commits to Texas with him?
    You wanted loyalty too, for that paltry seven-figure salary? Ain’t gonna happen in today’s NCAA/ESPN duopoly. May I cynically suggest that you get a dog instead?

      1. Giving up on the whole human race? Seems more than a bit overdramatic. At least Coach Strong is not taking most of his recruiting class with him to Texas unlike James Franklin at Vanderbilt. It comes down to somoneone taking a better job which happens everyday in all professions. I trust when you are offered a better opportunity, you will seize it, too. You should be grateful he rebuilt the Louisville football program and left it in a much better position than when he arrived.

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