Forget reality television.
The crap that is going on in Austin, Texas would be the ultimate highly rated drama if it were made into a television series.
Will the Longhorn boosters – ERRR, I mean the Texas administration – fire Charlie Strong, or won’t they? Does the university already have someone waiting in the wings to take over (Houston head coach Tom Hermann) or not?
All of this leaves the beleaguered CURRENT head coach twisting in the wind like crazy, and it’s not right.
First of all, I am aware that Strong’s record at Texas is not good. I know that Strong is 16-20 overall and 12-14 in Big 12 play in three seasons with the Longhorns. And yes, even Strong HIMSELF knows that he needs to win in order to keep his job.
And no, you cannot lose to KANSAS.
Having said that, y’all can’t tell me that Strong wasn’t behind the eight-ball upon taking the Texas job two years ago.
Keep in mind that Strong was not the first choice for the Texas vacancy when Mack Brown was fired after consecutive mediocre seasons. Hell, I don’t think Strong was the FIFTH choice.
There were boosters, notably billionaire/Vikings owner Red McCombs, who openly questioned the hire. Remember McCombs said that “maybe he (Strong) would make a good position coach or defensive coordinator”?
Also add to the fact that Brown left the cupboard bare when Strong arrived. Strong had to dismiss damn near half his starting lineup for disciplinary reasons. That left Strong with a team with mostly freshman and sophomores, with a splash of juniors and seniors.
And by the way, everyone knows that head coaches need more than THREE years to turn things around.
Texas is a high-profile job that requires coaches to be salesmen and with a gift to gab. Lots of glad-handing too with the big money boosters. All Strong knows how to do is to put his head down and go to work.
Even though Strong is indeed a dead man walking in Austin, there is no need to worry about his head coaching career. Keep in mind that he went 23-3 in his final two seasons in Louisville, and I am sure he did not forget how to coach.
There are several schools (ahem, my alma mater NC State, I’m looking at you) who would LOVE to have him. Who wouldn’t want to have a coach who runs a clean program and does things the right way?
In retrospect, Strong probably should have stayed in Louisville. Hell, if reports were correct last offseason, he should have gotten out of dodge and gone to Miami.
If there is a lesson to be learned from this, it’s that the grass is not necessarily greener on the other side of the fence…
Categories: college football, college sports, sports story
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