By ,
Published January 08, 2015
Austin, TX (SportsNetwork.com) - A new era officially began Sunday at The University of Texas with the hiring of Charlie Strong as head football coach.
The former Louisville head coach replaces Mack Brown, who resigned after guiding the program for 16 seasons.
"I am excited to have Charlie Strong here to build on the proud tradition of Texas football and the 16 great years that Mack Brown gave to the program," Texas athletic director Steve Patterson said in a statement.
"Our committee and former lettermen helped create an extensive selection criteria and after visiting with Charlie, it was clear he met them all. He led championship defenses as an assistant, a resurgence at the University of Louisville with double-digit game winning seasons, and twice been selected conference coach of the year.
"Most importantly, Charlie is a man of great integrity, with a wonderful family, who is well respected inside and outside the game. He is committed to the development of the total student-athlete both on and off the field. Charlie will represent the program and University extremely well. We look forward to a long and successful tenure for him here at Texas."
Strong joins Texas after a four-year stint at Louisville. He took over a Cardinals team coming off three straight non-winning seasons and proceeded to turn the program around.
Louisville went 37-15 under Strong, but compiled an impressive 23-3 mark over the past two years. The Cardinals captured a pair of Big East Conference championships and posted a 3-1 record in bowl games during his tenure.
"I'm excited and my family is excited to have the chance to lead one of the premier football programs in the country," Strong said in a statement. "Texas is one of those places that is always on your radar and a program anyone would dream of being a part of because you have a chance to compete on a national level every year. It's special because it has such great history, pride, tradition and passion for football."
Prior to Louisville, Strong spent 15 seasons as an assistant at Florida during four stints, including seven years as the defensive coordinator (2003-09). He was also the defensive coordinator at South Carolina.
https://www.foxnews.com/sports/texas-officially-announces-hiring-of-strong