Texas coach Charlie Strong tried to put to rest rumors and reports of his interest in coaching at Miami on Wednesday, and held a short-notice news conference for his platform. The Longhorns are a disappointing 4-6 in Strong's second season at UT, while Miami is in search of a new coach after firing Al Golden midseason.
"It's all a rumor ... The coaching staff and everyone is on board," Strong said, according to Mike Finger of the Houston Chronicle.
For some coaches, words like these are placeholders that help maintain recruiting efforts, but nevertheless end up ringing true. But in Strong's case, it's perfectly believable. He is one of the highest-paid coaches in college football at $5.1 million per season, and a move to Miami would almost surely result in a significant pay cut. Strong added that he doesn't know where the rumor came from.
We can help him there.
The speculation was well-fed by reports of a fractured relationship between Strong and fired athletic director Steve Patterson, stemming largely from Patterson's reported meddling and penny-pinching within an exceedlingly profitable athletic program. With Patterson out now, however, Strong reportedly has complete backing from the school's president and interim athletic director.
The expectations for Texas football are always high and never come down, but Strong knew those expectations were in store when he took the job. And heading into his third year in the program, Strong's recruiting efforts should begin to pay off more next season. There are only a few jobs in the game that might be more attractive than Texas, and Miami isn't one of them.
*Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter **@ChaseGoodbread*.
