Charlie Strong Reflects On Texas Tenure During USF Introduction


USF head coach Charlie Strong says his time at Texas taught him a lot. Now, he must continue what Willie Taggart built in Tampa.


It’s a new start for Charlie Strong.

New school. New team. New expectations.

USF is also seemingly getting a new Strong as well, as the new head coach of the Bulls actually seemed relaxed during his introductory press conference. He joked at ease with the media and fans, something that was rarely seen during his tenure in Austin.

The experience of constantly being in the line of fire as the leader of the Texas Longhorns, Strong said, will benefit him as a coach in the future.

“Though I’m disappointed in the record, I am very grateful for the opportunity I had at the University of Texas … I learned a lot, I coached outstanding players, I met many, many great people there and I grew as a coach during my time at Texas.”

That record he mentions was 16-21, including back-to-back 5-7 seasons that ultimately forced the hand of the Longhorns athletic department to part ways with Strong. Still, the Texas program that Strong left for new head coach Tom Herman is in much better shape than the one he acquired in 2014.

“We built a program. We put a foundation in place that will allow them to have great success in the future, similar to what Coach [Willie] Taggart has done here.”

Strong is taking over a Bulls program that was rejuvenated under Taggart, who accepted the Oregon head position last week. USF went 10-2 this season, and star quarterback Quinton Flowers will return next season as a dark horse Heisman Trophy candidate.

While discussing his time in Texas, Strong mentioned how it was “a great experience for me … for my family … for our staff, and it is one that I will never regret,” yet, he couldn’t let the moment pass him by without passing the pressure to Herman, the new savior in Austin.

“I baked the cake at Texas. Now it’s Tom Herman’s job to put icing on the cake and win a lot of games.”

The same now goes for Strong in Tampa.

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