If this is true, it’s a win-win for both sides. Strong’s rapid rise of late, after being passed over for the dumbest of reasons for so many years, is one of the coaching profession’s great stories.
And the bonus is that we’ll never see him back in the SEC plaguing Richt’s offenses again.
Now the cherry on top of the sundae would be if Louisville decided to go back to the well one more time. Hey, he’s tanned, rested and ready, Cards.
Get The Picture 
Kindofa weird morning with all the conflicting reports. I wouldn’t be surprised if he leaves ’em at the alter. Maybe they call Jim Donnan if that happens…
LikeLike
The one bad side to this is Charlie won’t be available should UGA ever get in the coach shopping bidness. Home run hire if Texas pulls it off.
LikeLike
Serious question, who was the last UGA coach that coached somewhere else after his time in Athens?
LikeLike
Jim Donnan did some financial coaching (rim shot)
LikeLike
Hey! That was a serious question. Where’s your head?
LikeLike
Pop Warner maybe.
LikeLike
Another serious question: what is the “dumbest of reasons” that he was passed up for a head coaching opportunity for so many years?
LikeLike
I’ve always heard because a lot is school’s rich old alumni don’t like him having a white wife. Which is sickening and disgusting in this day and age, but I can see that attitude existing.
LikeLike
I guess we all know what the “supersecret…nobody says it publicly reason”
LikeLike
He married a white trophy, not a soul sista…
LikeLike
I figured it was something along the lines of black victimization. Let’s look at the relevant facts:
-Charlie Strong, DC for 11 years before getting a head coaching gig.
-Mark Richt, OC for 12 years before getting a head coaching gig.
-Will Muschamp, DC for 11 years before getting a head coaching gig.
-Jimbo Fisher, OC for 11 years before getting a head coaching gig.
These are just the ones off the top of my head that I knew were coordinators before becoming a HC. I’m sure I could research more but so far it looks like the whole theory is just looking for racism when none exists.
LikeLike
Great comparisons: Richt got Georgia, Muschamp got Florida, Fisher got FSU… and Strong got Louisville.
Notice any difference in the destinations?
Sorry if it doesn’t fit your world view.
LikeLike
Well, he’s about to get Texas. He’s also the highest paid of the four currently: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/salaries/?fullsite=true
Sorry if that doesn’t fit your world view 😉
LikeLike
What makes you think it doesn’t? He’s a great coach.
BTW, for the moment, Fisher now makes more. For the moment.
LikeLike
I thought that because your previous post indicated Strong got the short end of the stick. Which, depending on how you look at it, could be the truth or could be the opposite of the truth.
LikeLike
I’d say you misinterpreted what I wrote.
LikeLike
I don’t know what you meant in your previous post, Senator, but he interpreted the words that you wrote to mean exactly what they said.
LikeLike
He’s married to a white woman. There are any number of stories out there if you look about how certain ADs were squeamish about that out of fear of upsetting certain big donors.
LikeLike
Real, legit stories from reliable sources or message board fodder?
LikeLike
As I like to say, Google is your friend.
LikeLike
Yeah, because most ADs are stupid enough to go on record with “We’re not looking at Charlie because Daddy Warbucks doesn’t like him marrying whitey.” Then again, our AD was stupid enough to get a DUI with his whore’s panties in his lap, so you never know…
LikeLike
When he was their DC, USCe fans couldn’t stand him because he had a white wife.
LikeLike
When he was their DC the USC Soul Sisters were none too pleased with him either.
just sayin’
LikeLike
I guess the Texas big donor bunch is more enlightened than we thought?
LikeLike
(Alleged) prejudices fly out the window when you know someone is likely one of the best candidates for a job. Any job.
LikeLike
I can point you to so many hiring decisions by college ADs that say the opposite it isn’t funny.
These are not courageous people, by and large.
LikeLike
“These are not courageous people, by and large.” Jesus, Bluto …maybe the most masterful understatement in the history of snarkificational understatements.
LikeLike
Prejudice is often overcome with an extremely strong candidate, but race, height, gender, attractiveness, similarity to the hiring person, can affect a hiring decision, regardless if it’s conscious or not. Executives tend to be tall and pretty – it’s just the way we’re wired.
Since the choice is often between candidates with similar resumes, decisions are really made at the margin, so any slight advantage can become huge. Occasionally, for a white HR person acutely aware of and trying to overcome their own prejudice, I imagine a black candidate may occasionally be in a better position than a white candidate.
(just for the record, I prefer to let the market sort out good hiring practices from bad, not the govt)
LikeLike
“just for the record, I prefer to let the market sort out good hiring practices from bad, not the govt”
Yep. Me too.
LikeLike
You do realize that most of the entities that hire head coaches are from the government, right? 😉
LikeLike
I took his comment to be a reference to affirmative action and the like. As in there is no sense in mandating certain things because those schools that pass on the best candidates because of skin color (or any other trivial characteristic irrelevant to the job) will eventually get passed by those schools that hire the best candidates regardless of those things.
Obviously I knew that anything associated with a public school is also associated with the government.
LikeLike
Throwing this card out there probably didn’t hurt either.
“Charlie Strong, the African-American defensive coordinator who kept the Sooners far below their 54 points a game average, made an even louder statement when he declared that despite all of his success at Florida, he has been passed over for head coaching positions because of his interracial marriage.”
LikeLike
Eh, what does he know? 😉
LikeLike
OK. I’ll bite. 😉 Whatever he missed I’m sure Oprah could coach him up. 😉
LikeLike
A black person crying that he didn’t get something he “deserved” because of his skin color? That’s a first.
I’m sure we can expand the sample size in my above post but from the looks of it he got a head coaching gig after being a succesful coordinator for the same amount of time as others.
LikeLike
Doesn’t mean it’s not true.
“For the same amount of time” is an interesting choice of words. Check out how old each of the four were when they got their first HC gig.
LikeLike
In terms of relative age, I’m not sure what kind of response you are looking for. He got the job after the same amount of years as a successful coordinator, so maybe he got passed up for DC jobs for awhile because of it and thus is took him longer to prove himself? Maybe so.
LikeLike
Congrats to Strong! He’s a heckuva football coach.
LikeLike
Interesting. Don’t see nuttin special bout Strong.
Against ranked teams, guess who has a lower scoring average last 2 seasons?
Georgia’s Grantham.
Both were around 60th in 2013, and around top 25 in 2012 vs ranked teams.
Charlie played in a weak league, so his #2 overall defensive scoring is bogus and inflated.
Let’s see what his would be if he had to play:
Clemson, Missouri, South Carolina, LSU, Auburn
LikeLike
Really? Ok, but I’d argue Florida would have two less MNCs without Charlie and if UGA had time during that period they might have two more.
LikeLike
The game has changed since Strong’s Florida days. Even Bama has a hard time stopping teams.
Look at Auburn, bout the same as Georgia in defensive scoring but they have a much better turnover margin than Georgia.
Strong’s teams at LVille’ have had great turnover margin, it’s the great equalizer.
LikeLike
And you think Todd Grantham has a better grasp of stopping modern college offenses than Charlie Strong does? Ok.
LikeLike
Without a doubt. Grantham’s had his defense in the top 35 in scoring 2010, 2011, and 2012.
And Grantham forced more turnovers than Bama 201-2013.
LikeLike
Great point! Exactly the reason he will always be known as “Bulldog Kryptonite” to me for what he did at USCe and UF.
LikeLike
I thought that was Cutcliffe.
LikeLike
There are many forms of Kryptonite and UGA is effected by them all, offense and defense, heck the Red Coats even play the damn song.
LikeLike
I mean UGA faced 5 ranked teams in 2013, Strong faced 1 each year.
LikeLike
If Strong is not “special”‘ then who would you have recommended for hire that was actually in the market to be hired?
LikeLike
So what it seems like some of you are saying is that you’d prefer Texas to come in and take away Grantham or Richt, right? But how would that play into the narrative that no one wants our coaches because none of them are any good?
I’m so confused right now.
LikeLike
7 of Grantham’s opponents were ranked in the 30 offensively in scoring, just saying.
LikeLike
The strength of opponent cuts both ways.
Grantham faced more nationally ranked offenses than Strong, of course.
But Grantham also has access to more nationally ranked defensive players than Strong. Louisville doesn’t land multiple NFL first-round defensive picks.
The level of domination within your existing level…be it the New England Patriots, Boise St Broncos, or Arkansas high school football…..is the best indicator out there of your coaching prowess.
LikeLike
Before or after playing us? 🙂
LikeLike
How big a case of indigestion does Patrino have right now believing he would have had first right of refusal of any opening if he had not been so Patrino..
LikeLike
spelling
LikeLike
Why was Cutcliffe not considered. He could have had Vad Lee in a year. Vad Lee telling Cutcliffe I want in. I toasted UGA’s secondary with the deep ball all day. But remember Lee, you were among many in 13. Guess Strong at Texas will tighten the recruiting for Texas Tech, Rice, Baylor, TCU, Texas A&M, plus LSU. Good deal!
LikeLike
Cutcliffe took the job at Duke because he was trying to avoid stress after his health declined. I don’t think Texas would be a good destination for him. Maybe Colorado; I hear they’ve got some legal stress relief there now.
LikeLike
And, so the story goes, turned down UT for the same reason, plus some loyalty to Phil…UT went after Cut before Kiffy.
LikeLike
He turned UT down because the school couldn’t afford to let him bring in the assistants he wanted.
LikeLike
Texas is the Notre Dame of the south. Rich in tradition but no longer really relevant. That’s why they got their 4th choice. Frankly, I’ve always like Strong.
LikeLike
It’s kinda complicated… or it has been made so.
LikeLike
I’ve never bought into the hype over Strong as a head coach.
Strong at Texas doesn’t scare me. And Texas is a place, like Florida, Georgia, and maybe SouCal, that has the potential to scare people when they have a top-notch head coach.
Maybe I’m wrong about Strong and he is top notch. We’ll see.
~~~
LikeLike
He’s an excellent recruiter and has always been so. He’s also got a first-class defensive mind. With the resources he’d have at UT, I think he’d be formidable.
LikeLike
Done. I hope he lands at Texas and wish him well. He has 3 years to make a mark and less than five to bring home the bacon. However, if it all goes to shit I don’t want to hear about that pretty wife of his again.
Just sayin’
LikeLike
Can’t argue with that. One thing we know for sure .. we’ll find out, conclusively, once and for all. For the simple reasons you laid out.
LikeLike
I think he’s the best DC we ever faced and his record against us will show it. Cutcliffe was the best at taking our defenses apart, back when it wasn’t that easy.
LikeLike
Agreed.
~~~
LikeLike
Glad he’s not going back to Florida. Ask Teddy Bridgewater how good of a coach he is when he cashes his first check.
LikeLike
Or anywhere else in SEC for that matter
LikeLike
On the subject of black coaches, sounds like Penn St, the Browns and the Redskins are looking Nashville way. I sure wouldn’t mind seeing Franklin meet a quota in another conference or in the NFL.
LikeLike
Not so sure about Franklin in the NFL but he would have been my pick at Texas if I were the AD. I don’t think the pro guys will care about his tough guy act but the recruits and teenage players seem to lap it up. He might should get out of Nashville before he loses his value though. He has done a nice job with moving them up a level but he has picked the low-fruit at this point and I don’t see much room for improvement.
LikeLike
I’m not interested in any talk about it, but many people have asked who Georgia would hire if Richt were fired or quit, as if there isn’t anybody.
But you don’t even have to get out of our division to see one possibility. Franklin is bright, a great recruiter, apparently plays by the rules, and his teams not only play to their talent level, they overachieve. And consistent overachievement is a quality that should leap out at any AD & President and slap them in the face.
Tell me fellas, given Georgia’s landmark record of underachievement the last 8 years, what would have happened if Georgia had been overachieving most of those 8 years, instead of the other way around? Or even just consistently playing to our talent level?
Sure it’s a hypothetical. But I believe it’s safe to think ‘Titles’. After all, we came close to two NC’s as it was.
I’m not calling for Richt to be fired, and in no way mean to suggest Franklin is totally qualified to be Georgia’s coach. IDK. But he might be. Because the qualities mentioned above, save consistent overachieving since that is so rare, should be among the required qualifications to even interview for Georgia’s Head Coach position.
So, I’m not saying Franklin could be Georgia’s man, if that time comes. But he’d certainly be the first guy I took a serious look at.
~~~
LikeLike
Franklin has put himself in position for a big payday – probably $4 million + per year for multiyears.
LikeLike
Its funny. Logically, your argument makes sense. However my gut tells me I don’t want Franklin to coach Georgia maybe because he was Vandy’s coach and I feel like we should be better than them. Doesn’t make sense though. I imagine this is exactly why Art Briles isn’t the new coach at Texas.
LikeLike
I wouldn’t care at all about his background including Vandy, the very fact he can coach 2-3 star players to win at Vandy is the same logic that made Peterson so sought after for years at Boise. He would have to be on a list if we had an opening, unless something surfaces regarding the Vandy rape case that shows some sign of a cover up. Franklin would probably take the UGA job for $100K just to get to fire Grantham.
LikeLike
The tough guy college coach thing didn’t work out too well for Tampa Bay with Schiano. To your point, the players hated it and he lost the team by and large because of it.
LikeLike
Looks official according to Austin media tonight.
LikeLike
I’m bummed that Texas is making this brilliant move.
A great coach like Strong with Texas’ resources could be a juggernaut.
LikeLike
Strong should hire this guy as his OC. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Stitt
LikeLike
A damned smart hire. I’m a bit surprised; I thought Strong might hold out for a return to his old SEC stomping grounds. In fact, it’s sort of a kick in the face of the other UT that he turned them down, but took the job in Austin.
Since it’s been raised in these comments as a subject, I don’t doubt for a second that there are clods who have an issue with Strong’s marriage to a white wife. I’ve heard and read too many negative comments from folks of both skin colors (including the pejorative term “snow bunny” used by some African American women for white wives of black men) to think otherwise. So for Strong to take additional fire for occasionally commenting on a phenomenon that manifestly exists seems to me absurd.
LikeLike
Going negative on a guy because of his race is just as bad as going negative on a guy because of his faith. The object of a man’s devotion, be it a woman or God, will determine, to some extent his way. It’s relative but it’s part of who you get when you hire him.
LikeLike