Louisville’s Strong To Arkansas? Not According To Him

October 3rd, 2012 02:30 PM║ Posted By: John Pennington ║ Permalink ║ Schools: Alabama, Arkansas
Tags: Alabama, Jim Rome, recruiting

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The first rule of “I’m looking for another job club” is “Don’t talk about ‘I’m looking for another job’ club.” Coaches lie and bend the truth when it comes to who they’re talking to and what jobs they might consider taking. Athletic directors fib about who they’re speaking with as well. They all have go-betweens and head-hunters and agents to provide them with plausible deniability.

So when you hear of a coach who says he’s happy where he is, well, you know what to do — ignore it.

That said, Louisville head coach (and native of the Natural State) Charlie Strong was asked by Jim Rome this afternoon, “If Arkansas calls, do you take that call?” Strong’s response:

“These folks gave me an opportunity. I tell these kids to be here, and then I leave? I am not cut like that. I am happy where I am.”

Strong is also in the middle of a football season and he’s busy on the recruiting trail. There’s no better way to hurt a team or kill recruiting than by saying, “Sure, I’d talk to School X if they called me.”

Still the above comment is a pretty strong statement — no pun intended — for a coach to make. Like Nick Saban’s famed remark — “I’m not going to be the Alabama coach” — this one will will be brought up again and again should Strong depart Louisville for Arkansas or anywhere else.

But here’s guessing Strong knows as well as most other coaches that Saban’s “lie” didn’t really hurt him too much in the long run. Better to deny and deflect than to destroy your current job before you have to.

5 comments

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WillieT

It's funny and a bit sad the way you guys in the press (and commenters on boards) keep reminding us of Nick Saban's statement while at the Dolphins. I've got a life so I won't bother researching just how many coaches have denied interest in another position only to accept that position moments (hours, days) later. I will say that it is silly and a waste of time to ask an active coach (you know, one that has a job as a coach) if he'd be interested in coaching at this or that school.

John at MrSEC moderator

@WillieT

I used that as an example because it was SO blown out of proportion. And it fit the point -- in the end it wasn't true, it didn't matter, and no coach is going to openly blow up his team or his recruiting by admitting that he's interested in another job.

I think you might have taken that one the wrong way. I used it as an example BECAUSE it had been overblown. Then I (thought) I made it clear that Saban was hardly alone in denying interest in jobs.

Sorry if that didn't come across as intended.

Thanks for reading the site,

John

WillieT

@John at MrSEC @WillieT Thanks for the response John. I did take it the wrong way I guess. Truly the example has been terribly overused & overblown. BTW, love the site & visit often!

Fayettechill14

Arkansas probably throws the checkbook at Gary Patterson, and Strong is likely in the top 3 if Patterson declines. Patterson would be incredible in Fayetteville.

Bill Schultz

How soon we forget just how long Charlie Strong served as Defensive Coordinator at the University of Florida and got no job offers to move up to head coach. Google it and look for all the articles about how Charlie's white wife seemed to be an obsticle to him getting a reasonable head coach job offer. Then Louiville FINALLY gave him a chance. Charlie will be very careful before considering interviewing for any other job due to the number of interviews he went through before he got the Louisville job. I wish Charlie the best. If his program had the money that Florida has, he would probably be doing a lot better at Louisville.