Crystal LoGiudice-USA TODAY Sports
Louisville head coach Charlie Strong has received an eight-year contract extension worth $3.7 million a year. In 2012, Strong led the Cardinals to an 11-2 record, a share of the Big East championship, and a Sugar Bowl win over the third-ranked Florida Gators. This new extension makes Strong one of the highest paid head coaches in the country, but is he worth it?
The answer is simple; of course he is. The coach has turned the Louisville program around, and is quickly making it one of the better football programs in the country. The Sugar Bowl win over Florida proves it. A win over an SEC powerhouse is not just a program-building win, but a defining one. No one thought the Cardinals stood a chance in the Sugar Bowl, but they simply dominated the Gators.
Strong hasn’t just had on-the-field success, but he has also shown great loyalty to the University of Louisville. That loyalty is evidenced by the fact that Strong turned down an offer to become Tennessee‘s next head coach. Strong’s loyalty has been rewarded and that may be the move that keeps Strong around for the long haul.
The coach is the right choice for Louisville, and I think that it was a very smart move to give Strong this extension. The Cardinals are climbing the ladder of success and Strong is a big reason why. Charlie Strong over the next couple of years will preside over Louisville’s transition from the Big East to the ACC, making the program even more successful.
