Austin Way Magazine - GreenGale Publishing - There is a place beyond the crowds, beyond the ropes, where dreams are realized and success is celebrated. You are invited.
Issue link: http://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/367813
"We have core values in this program, and We expect our players to abide by those values." —charlie strong succeed. And, as Texas fans, we kind of need him to. "He's not a PR guy, not a baby kisser, and he's not going to be a fishing pal," says Brian Davis, a sports- writer who covers the Longhorns for the Austin American-Statesman. "He doesn't like to stand around and shoot the breeze." What Strong is, as Davis and others who have seen enough of the coach to know, is a man with a prophet's obsessive certainty that discipline plus values plus character equals winning. He's in it to win—and he's going to win his way. "He goes at it for the long haul," says Bill Samuels, chairman emeritus of Maker's Mark bourbon and a former trustee at the University of Louisville, where Strong coached for three seasons before accepting the job in Austin. "The discussions he and I had took place mostly while sitting at basketball games. We didn't talk a lot about football. The conversations were all about values and character." The point wasn't lost on the seven Longhorn play- ers who had been kicked off the team as of press time, nor the three others who have been suspended. Strong's approach was almost comical to those of us on the outside—and the fact that SB Nation's hilari- ous parody, "Charlie Strong Has K icked You Off the Team," went viral this summer shows how many people across the country were watching him. Then receivers Kendall Sanders and Montrel Meander were arrested on sexual assault charges in July. Both were summarily cut, and there aren't many left who are arguing against Strong's approach. "We have core values in this program," Strong told us during our brief time together in Dallas. "We expect our players to abide by those values. You take away something that's important to them—and football is really important to a lot of these players— and you make sure that, [by taking games] away from them, they understand how important it is to represent this great university not only on the field, but also off." The thing is, you can't really argue with the results. Strong guided Louisville to a 25 -14 record, including a 23 -3 mark for the last two seasons and a huge Sugar Bowl win over Southeastern Conference powerhouse. For us Longhorn fans who are coming up on 10 years—10!—without a national title, that success looks intoxicating. Strong, of course, is having none of it. He has gone out of his way to lower expectations, tell- ing Texas fans on a bus tour in a matter-of-fact manner that the team "will not be in the national championship game" this season. Those candid remarks didn't sit well with a whole lot of us. But far from taking back the comment, the coach "has owned it," says Davis. "I'm telling you, he gets big- time credit for that." That's quite an adjustment for anyone who saw much of Mack Brown, the former coach that Strong is replacing and who was the best politician Austin has seen since George W. Bush lived here. Brown went 158 -7 in 16 seasons in Austin, but then 30 -20 over the last four years. It left the impression that Longhorn football lost its edge. So UT went out and invested $5 million a year in Strong, who's got enough edge to pass as a razor. He's ravaged our roster in the name of discipline. He's banned the "Hook 'Em" hand gesture from the field until his players have, presumably, earned the right to use it. And he's honed in on discipline, val- ues, character, and winning. He may not be our pal, and he may not pretend to be. He's certainly not the coach we had, and he's probably not the coach we expected. We're about to find out if he's the one we need. AW from far left: The Texas Longhorns take the home field last year during coach Mack Brown's 16th and final season; Strong during a team practice in March. AUSTINWAY.com 79 PeoPle are talking Austinites share their thoughts and predictions for Strong's first year as UT head coach. "Charlie Strong stands on the precipice of an amazing opportunity with one of the top football programs in America. I'm so excited for our team and cannot wait to see the impact he'll make, on and off the feld. A good year ahead for much- needed changes. " —Tyson Cole, executive chef and owner, Uchi and Uchiko "I predict a 8-4 regular season and a bowl game win, to fnish 9-4." —Tim Taylor, Austin real estate attorney and passionate Longhorn fan "I am happy to see Charlie Strong hired to be our new coach. He's the man for the job. I have had the opportunity to build a relationship with him, and I pray we have a great year. If not, I will be here still supporting our team and coaching staff. I'll be sticking with my university through the good and bad times—it's my alma mater! Hook 'Em! Let's Go Horns!" — Vince Young, former NFL quarterback and member of the UT Division of Diversity and Community Engagemen t