Louisville Cardinals head coach Charlie Strong. Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
Charlie Strong might be ticketed for Texas, but the Louisville head coach told his coaching staff Saturday morning that no decision was made.
Strong, according to multiple reports, met with coaches at 9 a.m. after speaking at length with Louisville athletic director Tom Jurich on Friday night to inform administration reports of his departure to Austin and the University of Texas were premature.
Texas reportedly has a standing offer to Strong of five years, $25 million. Jurich and Strong are expected to meet Saturday; the Cardinals could attempt to increase Strong’s salary to keep him.
Horns247 and Orangebloods.com reported that Strong accepted an offer to coach the Longhorns late Friday. ESPN countered with a report that Strong was not formally offered the job but that he would accept after he had spoken with Jurich and Louisville president Jes Ramsey.
The Longhorns are trying to replace Mack Brown, who stepped down on Monday after 16 years as Texas coach following a 30-7 loss to Oregon in the Valero Alamo Bowl. They were first linked to Alabama coach Nick Saban, who signed a contract extension, and led Texas to begin chasing other candidates.
Strong has a 37-16 career record as a head coach and has guided the Cardinals to two consecutive bowl victories.
UCLA coach Jim Mora and Baylor coach Art Briles, two potential candidates for the Texas head coaching vacancy, said earlier Friday they are not interested.
“I’m a Baylor Bear,” Briles said via Twitter.
That left Strong, Vanderbilt’s James Franklin and possibly Florida State’s Jimbo Fisher among the top contenders to replace Brown.
Texas was believed to have significant interest in Mora, and Texas officials met with Mora’s representative to discuss the job, according to multiple reports.
But Mora is staying put.
“It is always flattering when someone is interested in you. But I am committed to being the UCLA coach,” Mora said, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Briles said he is not interested in being considered for any other coaching jobs.
He has been linked to the Washington Redskins’ head coaching vacancy because of his relationship with quarterback Robert Griffin III. He has also been connected to the head coaching position at the Texas.
However, Briles said he is staying put at Baylor.
“I have no desire to pursue other coaching positions,” Briles said in a statement. “As I’ve said many times, I am both humbled and honored to be the head coach at Baylor University, and believe we have something special going here. I look forward to leading the Bears onto the field next fall at McLane Stadium and defending our Big 12 championship that our players and coaches worked so hard to win this season.”
Briles said he did not speak to the Redskins or any other NFL teams about coaching jobs.
It leaves new Texas athletic director Steve Patterson to look elsewhere. He said earlier this week that he wanted Texas’ next coach to be in place by Jan. 15, the end of the NCAA’s dead period for recruiting.
Patterson interviewed Strong on Tuesday near Louisville, and he interviewed Franklin two weeks ago.
Strong’s Louisville team went 12-1, including a 36-9 victory over Miami in the Russell Athletic Bowl.
Vanderbilt is 8-4 under Franklin this season heading into Saturday BBVA Compass Bowl game against Houston.
Patterson had expressed interest in Michigan State’s Mark Dantonio during the search, according Orangebloods.com.
