Is Charlie Returning Next Year a Moot Point?

[North Texas Golfer]

It's fun for all of us to voice opinions and discuss whether or not Charlie will or should be back next year and I really like seeing what others have to say no matter which side of the fence you're on. 

However, the more I think about it, the more I believe that Charlie is back next year pretty much no matter what happens. About the only way that I think he gets fired for sure is to finish the year at 4-8. At this point, I'm not even convinced that he gets fired at 5-7. Probably does but I wouldn't bet the farm on it. But I think he's back for certain even at 6-6. 

Who thinks I have it all wrong?

For the record, I would have made the decision after the KSU game. And Tom Herman would be my first choice. That is, after Saban and Meyer said no

 

[DrTrey]

It's interesting to think about, for sure. From my perspective, he probably won't be back with a losing record, be it 4-8 or 5-7. I don't know who makes these decisions for sure, but they will be feeling serious heat to make a change if we have another losing record. As much as Perrin and Fenves like him, I can't see them rationalizing the idea of retaining Strong without winning a few more games.

At 6-6 I could also see Strong coming back, as precarious as it may be. It means we're bowl eligible, which could be seen as "improvement". If he loses the bowl game though, Charlie's seat will be scorching.

At 7-5/8-4 I could  DEFINITELY see him coming back. While personally I've never been 100% on Charlie's side, I wouldn't mind giving him one more shot to prove himself. Who knows, there might be a breakthrough soon to come (one can hope lol)

 

 

[DrTrey]

Another point would be that Charlie coming back means recruiting won't be hurt quite as much. Say what you will about the man as a coach, but players really love the guy.

 

[UT1983]

Fenves don't strike me as a football guy.  He is more concerned with being politically correct with getting rid of Civil War references and increasing diversity at all costs at UT.  Having a black UT Football Coach works well with that vision.   He doesn't want to fire Coach Strong at all regardless of his record and will only do so as a last resort. 

The last thing he wants to be known for is the UT President that fired UT's first black football coach.  The $5 million dollar buy out doesn't hurt Coach Strong's chances of staying on either. 

As the saying goes, Coach Strong would need to be found in bed with either a live boy or a dead girl to get terminated.   I don't see Coach Strong losing his job anytime soon. 

 

[primal defense]

No, I disagree. I believe Charlie is gone if he goes 6-6. A 7-5 record is the question on if he'll be back.

 

[streettopeschel]

NT Golfer, I suspect you may be right.

 

[java]

I don't think so, but I've been wrong before.

 

[JimsTexas]

The guys with all the will not standby and watch the TexasLonghorn football team sink further than it already has. Texas has the talent and I know it takes time for them to get up to speed. The problem is there don't seem to be a great deal of improvement on Defense. CS is suppose to be a Defensive coach it's time for him to step up his game. The offensive coach Sterlin Gilbert sure seems to have the offence moving in the right direction with a lot of young players. My friends y'all have a great weekend

 

[Embrey]

The last thing he wants to be known for is the UT President that fired UT's first black football coach.

I agree with this wholeheartedly and have thought this as well all along. It might take someone like Red McCombs to fire him.

 

[NWAHorn]

I got a chance to visit with CBS Sports analyst Rick Neuheisel yesterday. He seems pretty confident that Charlie will be back next season, and mentioned several factors for his belief of that. He thinks Perrin and Charlie are on the same page, and like Charlie said last week, Neuheisel thinks Texas is on the verge of a breakthrough.

So we'll see how it plays out, but if Texas ends the season with 4 straight losses, all bets are off. I still see 7-5 and, depending upon the bowl opponent, an 8-5 finish. But I'm optimistic.

 

[Chris Flanagan]

Fenves don't strike me as a football guy.  He is more concerned with being politically correct with getting rid of Civil War references and increasing diversity at all costs at UT.  Having a black UT Football Coach works well with that vision.   He doesn't want to fire Coach Strong at all regardless of his record and will only do so as a last resort. 

The last thing he wants to be known for is the UT President that fired UT's first black football coach.  The $5 million dollar buy out doesn't hurt Coach Strong's chances of staying on either. 

As the saying goes, Coach Strong would need to be found in bed with either a live boy or a dead girl to get terminated.   I don't see Coach Strong losing his job anytime soon. 

Again with the political correctness? 

You said it before that the ONLY reason Coach Strong was hired was as a diversity hire. Despite the fact in his final two years at Louisville, he went 23-3. The only loss to a sub-.500 team during that two year span was in triple OT to UConn in 2012. The anointed one, Tom Herman, got whooped by 22 points by SMU that lost to Baylor by 27 (that Coach Strong beat) and TCU by 30. But clearly, Tom Herman is much more qualified for that huge $5.5 million/year salary. (/sarcasm)

We get it, you don't like that a black man is coaching Texas football considering you constantly dog whistle with "PC" or "diversity hire" in any post about Coach Strong. I don't get why you have to constantly bring it up like there is some conspiracy to bring down Texas football in the name of Political Correctness.

Despite that conspiracy, Coach Strong will not keep his job at all costs. 

He loses out and goes 4-8, he is gone. Same with 5-7. 6-6? Iffy. 

No way he's gone if he goes 8-4 or 7-5. Why? That's where most people predicted the Longhorns. 

Dallas Morning News: 7-5.

Burnt Orange Nation: 8-4.

ESPN Big 12: 7-5.

Saturday Blitz: 7-5. 

Sports Illustrated: 7-5.

And finally HornSports where the entire staff either picked 8-4 or 7-5. 

It's kind of hypocritical to call for the pitchforks when the coach does exactly what you thought he would do preseason. 

So if he does what most expected him to do, he'll keep his job because Tom Herman isn't a proven commodity yet. Also, the buyout is much cheaper next year and he has no excuses for 2017. Get it done or GTFO. 

He doesn't win, he's out. But quit bringing up his race (or insinuating it) as if it's the only reason 1) that he got the job and 2) he is keeping his job for eternity. 

 

[tejasrulz]

Another point would be that Charlie coming back means recruiting won't be hurt quite as much. Say what you will about the man as a coach, but players really love the guy.

Yes they do. As a person, it's hard not to like him. He seems to be a good man who genuinely cares about his players.

If he does come back, I will support him and hope they run the table. Of course, I hope that every year so.  B)

 

[mctmatt]

I could care less if Charlie is Black, White, Purple , or Burnt Orange. I am just judging him by what I am seeing on the field from the players he coaches. Wins and Loses do matter, when I view our wins it is not because our team has improved and dominated the game, it is because the other team has declined from what they were the year before and their level of play has dropped. No one can look at this Baylor team and say they were as good or better than the healthy Baylor team of last year.  Ask yourself this question,  are you excited about the future of this team  and do you feel the momentum of a program that is on the rise?  Will Charlie be back might very well be a moot point if it is the decision of Perrin as I too feel he wants to keep Coach Strong for another year at least. I do think by keeping Charlie for another year our recruiting will suffer as the Sword of Dmocles hangs just above his head. There is no momentum for our football program folks and the lack of developement of our players is how Charlie should be judge at the end of the season. 

 

[UT1983]

Chris,

For the record, I never said Coach Strong was hired only because he was black.

If you can't see what a predicament Fenves is in from a "political correctness" stand point hypersensitive liberals such as yourself put him in when it comes to Coach Strong's future then you are simply ignoring the elephant in the room.

I admire Coach Strong's values and am very glad we don't have a team thug mentality. The plus side to Coach Strong is the fact we hear little to no off the field issues that could bring immbarassment to the University.

Do I wish we were talking about our chances to play Alabama for the title this year instead of should UT keep Coach Strong? Absolutely!

To ignore the political nature of the Head Football Coach position at UT and to instead think the position is based solely on field performance is putting your head in the sand. The bottom line is Coach Strong was, or should have been, hired to put a winning team on the field week in and week out. That unfortunately has not happened and may or may not continue. Hopefully the Tech game starts the turn around we all want to see in the Texas program

The point I am trying to make is some of us think Coach Strong should be evaluated solely on his job performance and currently that performance has issues. I believe Fenves really doesn't care that much about the field performance of the UT program as long as they win every now and then. And he is willing to put up with mediocre field performance because he does not want to have to fire Coach Strong because as a liberal, it would send the opposite message of his "diversity" being so important at UT. If that view point upsets you, then so be it. Others agree with me just as others don't.

Guess the only way to know if I am right is if UT loses the rest of their games and Coach Strong stays on as Head Coach. Let's hope my belief is not put to the test and UT wins out.

I think there is something you and I can agree on. We both want competitive programs with reasonable expectations for conference championships every year with the chance of a title; all the while by having a clean program. UT has too much going for it to not have this be the case.

 

[dillohorn]

This Tech game shouldn't matter in the Strong debate. Tech is a crappy team...........So UT beats a crappy TT team. So what? Been there. Done that..........So UT loses to a crappy TT team. So what? Been there. Done that too............Same ole same ole same ole................ 

 

[83Dee]

Chris,

For the record, I never said Coach Strong was hired only because he was black.

If you can't see what a predicament Fenves is in from a "political correctness" stand point hypersensitive liberals such as yourself put him in when it comes to Coach Strong's future then you are simply ignoring the elephant in the room.

I admire Coach Strong's values and am very glad we don't have a team thug mentality. The plus side to Coach Strong is the fact we hear little to no off the field issues that could bring immbarassment to the University.

Do I wish we were talking about our chances to play Alabama for the title this year instead of should UT keep Coach Strong? Absolutely!

To ignore the political nature of the Head Football Coach position at UT and to instead think the position is based solely on field performance is putting your head in the sand. The bottom line is Coach Strong was, or should have been, hired to put a winning team on the field week in and week out. That unfortunately has not happened and may or may not continue. Hopefully the Tech game starts the turn around we all want to see in the Texas program

The point I am trying to make is some of us think Coach Strong should be evaluated solely on his job performance and currently that performance has issues. I believe Fenves really doesn't care that much about the field performance of the UT program as long as they win every now and then. And he is willing to put up with mediocre field performance because he does not want to have to fire Coach Strong because as a liberal, it would send the opposite message of his "diversity" being so important at UT. If that view point upsets you, then so be it. Others agree with me just as others don't.

Guess the only way to know if I am right is if UT loses the rest of their games and Coach Strong stays on as Head Coach. Let's hope my belief is not put to the test and UT wins out.

I think there is something you and I can agree on. We both want competitive programs with reasonable expectations for conference championships every year with the chance of a title; all the while by having a clean program. UT has too much going for it to not have this be the case.

UT1983,

You didn't ask, but my advice would be to not even respond to somebody who addresses legitimate discourse by throwing in a baseless charge of racism..... "we get it, you don't like a black man is coaching Texas football..."  eliminates Chris from the dignity of a response IMO.  Baseless charges of such a heinous characteristic serve as a lazy tool to shut down diverse opinions and should be viewed with contempt (and a growing population views them as such). 

I think that most of us understood what you were saying.  Is it completely ridiculous to suggest that decision makers at the University of Texas would be more hesitant to pull the trigger and terminate the most high profile employee at the entire University because of his race - and the fear of public misconception?  Of course not... a school so bent on diversity that they have defended themselves in court over it could certainly entertain that internal struggle!   

You think the program is unacceptable and not showing movement in a positive direction and want the coach evaluated on his performance alone... did I get that right?  Maybe not, because I evaluated your statement without judging your heart out of a self-righteousness that I'm the only white guy who sees things in a non racist way. 

 

[Embrey]

Again with the political correctness?

We get it, you don't like that a black man is coaching Texas football considering you constantly dog whistle with "PC" or "diversity hire" in any post about Coach Strong. I don't get why you have to constantly bring it up like there is some conspiracy to bring down Texas football in the name of Political Correctness.

I don't think this is a fair representation of what was said. He said Fenves doesn't want to be the one to fire Charlie Strong, the first black head coach in Texas football history. His opinion as to why Fenves wouldn't want to be known for that is where he speculates. Is Fenves a captive of a politically correct attitude? I don't know. I do know that whichever side of the "keep the coach/get a new (better) coach" side of the debate Longhorn Nation is having right now, if political correctness is a over-riding factor in making this decision - it will be a bad decision even if it happens to be the right decision. The right decision needs to be made for the right reasons.

 

[TexExSpur]

I'm tellin' errrbody!  If he splits the last 4 and wins a shitty bowl game.....he's back.  

 

[83Dee]

It seems to me that the greatest minority opinion is that CS is moving the program toward excellence.  I believe most are in one of two camps:

1. Should be terminated due to performance on the field.
2. Should be retained because it is unfair to fire a coach (baring rules violations or morality failings) after only three seasons.