Charlie Strong

Charlie Strong began his expansive coaching career in 1983 as a graduate assistant at the University of Florida. Strong went on to jump around D1 programs, acting as a positions coach for Florida, Ole Miss, and Notre Dame before receiving his first defensive coordinator position in 1999 with the University of South Carolina. After 3 seasons with the Gamecocks, he returned to Florida where he was hired as the defensive coordinator for the 2002 season. Strong stayed with the Gators for 7 more seasons, acting in several major positions for the team including filling in as interim head coach in 2004 for the Peach Bowl. In 2010 Strong was given his first head coaching position at the University of Louisville In 4 seasons with the Cardinals, Strong led the team to a combined 37-15 record and 4 straight bowl appearances including a victory over his former Gators team in the 2012 BCS Sugar Bowl. Following the 2013 season at Louisville, Strong was introduced as the new head coach at the storied University of Texas. After three seasons with the Longhorns, Strong became the head coach at the University of South Florida and guided them to a 10-2 campaign in his first year. The Bulls finished that season ranked 21st in the country. Strong coached at USF through the 2019 season and subsequently took a position as a defensive analyst on Nick Saban's staff at Alabama.