Strong, Charlie R.
(born: 1960)Charlie Strong became the second African American head football coach at the University of Louisville, December 9, 2009. Strong, born in Batesville, Arkansas, played football at the University of Central Arkansas, where he lettered all four years, 1980-1984. Strong is also a graduate of the University of Florida, where he earned his master's degree in education.
Strong has more than 25 years experience coaching at the college level. He was an assistant at a number of colleges and while at the University of South Carolina in 1999, became the first African American coordinator in the Southeastern Conference. In 2010, Strong was one of three African American head football coaches hired at Kentucky universities: Joker Phillips at the University of Kentucky and Willie Taggart at Western Kentucky University were the other two.
In January 2014, Charlie Strong left the University of Louisville to become the head football coach at the University of Texas, where he is the first African American head coach of any sport at the school.
For more see "Strong to be named U of L football coach," CBS - 32 WLKY: Video (Louisville, KY), 12/09/2009; J. Fowler, "Cards go Strong - Louisville offers job to UF defensive coordinator," The Orlando Sentinel, 12/09/09, Sports section, p. C1; and the 2010 interview "Coach Charlie Strong," program #531 at Connections With Renee Shaw on Kentucky Educational Television (KET).
