Former Texas coach Charlie Strong has agreed to a deal to become South Florida's next head coach, sources told ESPN.com.
Strong met with South Florida officials on Friday after having preliminary conversations by phone with school officials earlier in the week. He will replace Willie Taggart, who left to take the head coaching job at Oregon. Strong was also being pursued as a defensive coordinator by several schools around the country.
Strong will become only the fourth head coach in USF's 20-year history. He has strong ties in Florida and has recruited that state extensively. He was the defensive coordinator at Florida under Urban Meyer when the Gators won national championships in 2006 and 2008 and also had three previous stints on the Gators' staff, including working under Steve Spurrier in the early 1990s.
Strong, 56, was fired at Texas last month after going 5-7 this season. He was 16-21 in three seasons at Texas, but was 37-15 in four seasons as Louisville's head coach from 2010-13. He won 11 games in 2012 at Louisville and 12 games in 2013 with bowl wins over Florida and Miami.
In the two NFL drafts after Strong left Louisville for Texas, the Cardinals had eight players selected in the 2014 draft and 10 players taken in the 2015 draft, including four first-rounders. One of Strong's top players at Louisville was quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, whom Strong recruited out of Miami.
Strong met with USF officials in Tampa Friday and Saturday. He was initially offered the job in Tampa, but returned home to Austin, Texas, to discuss it with his family before making his decision on Sunday, a source said.
Strong and Taggart had discussions about the USF job over the weekend, a source said. Taggart also was one of several Power 5 coaches who had interest in Strong as a defensive coordinator, sources said.
This will be Strong's fifth different stint coaching in the Sunshine State, but first not at the University of Florida. At Florida Strong was a graduate assistant (1983-84), linebackers coach (1988-89), defensive line coach/assistant head coach (1991-94) and defensive coordinator/linebackers coach (2003-09). Strong also has been an assistant at Texas A&M, Southern Illinois, Ole Miss, Notre Dame and South Carolina.
Strong is the first head coach in USF's history that has previous head coaching experience at a Power 5 school.
If Strong remains at USF four years, it will make for an intriguing season opener when the Bulls visit Texas on Sept. 5, 2020.
Strong met with South Florida officials on Friday after having preliminary conversations by phone with school officials earlier in the week. He will replace Willie Taggart, who left to take the head coaching job at Oregon. Strong was also being pursued as a defensive coordinator by several schools around the country.
Strong will become only the fourth head coach in USF's 20-year history. He has strong ties in Florida and has recruited that state extensively. He was the defensive coordinator at Florida under Urban Meyer when the Gators won national championships in 2006 and 2008 and also had three previous stints on the Gators' staff, including working under Steve Spurrier in the early 1990s.
Strong, 56, was fired at Texas last month after going 5-7 this season. He was 16-21 in three seasons at Texas, but was 37-15 in four seasons as Louisville's head coach from 2010-13. He won 11 games in 2012 at Louisville and 12 games in 2013 with bowl wins over Florida and Miami.
In the two NFL drafts after Strong left Louisville for Texas, the Cardinals had eight players selected in the 2014 draft and 10 players taken in the 2015 draft, including four first-rounders. One of Strong's top players at Louisville was quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, whom Strong recruited out of Miami.
Strong met with USF officials in Tampa Friday and Saturday. He was initially offered the job in Tampa, but returned home to Austin, Texas, to discuss it with his family before making his decision on Sunday, a source said.
Strong and Taggart had discussions about the USF job over the weekend, a source said. Taggart also was one of several Power 5 coaches who had interest in Strong as a defensive coordinator, sources said.
This will be Strong's fifth different stint coaching in the Sunshine State, but first not at the University of Florida. At Florida Strong was a graduate assistant (1983-84), linebackers coach (1988-89), defensive line coach/assistant head coach (1991-94) and defensive coordinator/linebackers coach (2003-09). Strong also has been an assistant at Texas A&M, Southern Illinois, Ole Miss, Notre Dame and South Carolina.
Strong is the first head coach in USF's history that has previous head coaching experience at a Power 5 school.
If Strong remains at USF four years, it will make for an intriguing season opener when the Bulls visit Texas on Sept. 5, 2020.
