Another Coach said of strong,  "When they see what he can do, you're probably going to have a lot of people disappointed they didn't hire him sooner."

Louisville Head Coach Charlie Strong was born August 2, 1960 in Batesville, Arkansas. He lettered four years (1980-83) at University of Central Arkansas and later joined the Florida Gator coaching staff as a graduate assistant in

1983. 1986 he coached wide receivers at the Southern Illinois Salukies and went on to assume defensive coaching duties at Florida and Notre Dame. While there, he earned a Masters and Education Specialist Degree from the University of Florida.

In 1999 Strong became the first black defensive coordinator in the SEC and one of the first in the country at South Carolina. In 2003, Strong was hired as defensive coordinator for Florida, staying on through a coaching change, helping Florida to win two national championships. He stayed at Florida until he was hired as the head coach at the University of Louisvlle on December 9, 2009.