Louisville expected to name Strong coach
December 8, 2009
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP)—Louisville is expected to hire Florida defensivecoordinator Charlie Strong as its new football coach, according to a person withknowledge of the decision.
Strong would replace Steve Kragthorpe, who was fired on Nov. 28 followingthree disappointing seasons.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity becausethe deal is not yet final. The hiring must be approved by the LouisvilleAthletic Association’s board of directors, which is scheduled to meet Wednesday.
Strong and Louisville athletic director Tom Jurich spoke several times thisweek about the opening. The two met in Florida on Sunday and talked by phone onMonday. Jurich also received a phone call last week from former NFL coach TonyDungy in support of Strong.
If hired Strong, 49, will be tasked with returning the Cardinals toprominence. Louisville went just 15-21 during Kragthorpe’s three-year tenure,including a 4-8 mark this season.
His hire would likely energize a fan base that grew disenchanted withKragthorpe as the program steadily slid from the heights of 2006, when theCardinals won the Big East and the Orange Bowl and finished the season rankedNo. 6 in the final poll.
A crowd of just over 23,000 turned out for last month’s season finaleagainst Rutgers, a decline the program knows must stop with Cardinal Stadiumexpanding to 55,000 seats in time for next year’s opener against rival Kentucky.
Strong has become a hot commodity in recent years while molding the Gatorsinto one of the nation’s top defenses under head coach Urban Meyer. Floridaranked in the top 20 nationally in 10 statistical categories last season whilewinning its second national title in three years.
The Gators have been just as good this fall, finishing third in the FootballBowl Subdivision in scoring defense and fourth in total defense this season asFlorida won its first 12 games before falling to Alabama in the SoutheasternConference title game last Saturday.
He’ll have plenty of work to do at Louisville, where the defense’sprecipitous fall has fueled the Cardinals’ descent into the Big East cellar.
Louisville ranked 67th nationally in both total defense and scoring defensethis year, significant improvements from 2007 and 2008 but still only goodenough for seventh in the eight-team Big East.
Unlike Kragthorpe’s hire, which came less than 48 hours after Bobby Petrinoopted to leave for the NFL, Jurich took his time while searching for the coachcharged with bringing Louisville back to national relevance.
Though Strong was considered Jurich’s top choice all along, Louisvillewaited until Florida was done with its regular season before reaching out.Jurich also spoke briefly with former Tennessee coach Phil Fulmer about theposition last week.
Strong’s deep recruiting ties to the South would be welcomed at Louisville.Kragthorpe and his staff largely abandoned recruiting in the area in favor oflooking for players from the west and southwest.
Strong was in Little Rock, Ark., on Tuesday during the presentation of theBroyles Award, given annually to the nation’s top assistant. Strong was one offive finalists for the award, which went to Alabama defensive coordinator KirbySmart.
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