Official newspaper of The University of Texas at Austin

The Daily Texan

Official newspaper of The University of Texas at Austin

The Daily Texan

Official newspaper of The University of Texas at Austin

The Daily Texan

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October 4, 2022
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Strong leaves Texas with legacy of highs and lows

2016-11-25_Texas_v_TCU_Gabriel
Gabriel Lopez

Charlie Strong’s time at Texas is over after spending three seasons delivering a variety of big wins and head-scratching losses.

Here are some of the highs and lows of the Charlie Strong era:

Jan. 5, 2014: Strong is named head coach of the Longhorns after legendary coach Mack Brown stepped down following an 8–5 season. 


Aug. 4, 2014: Strong makes headlines for dismissing five players for breaking his “core values.” He went on to dismiss nine players before the end of the season.

Aug. 30, 2014: Texas starts the Strong tenure off with a bang, beating North Texas, 38-7, at home. 

Sept. 6, 2014: Strong takes his first loss: a 41-7 trouncing at the hands of BYU. 

Nov. 8, 2014: The Longhorns top No. 23 West Virginia, 33-16. The victory marked Strong’s first win over a ranked team at Texas.

Dec. 29, 2014: Strong’s team loses 31-7 to Arkansas in the Advocare V100 Texas Bowl. The Longhorns mustered just 59 yards, a season low for any FBS team. 

Feb. 4, 2015: Texas reels in the nation’s No. 10 recruiting class, according to 247sports. Additions included star linebacker Malik Jefferson and offensive tackle Connor Williams.

Sept. 5, 2015: Notre Dame dominates the burnt orange, 38-3, to start Strong’s second season. Offensive coordinator Shawn Watson is demoted three days later. 

Sept. 19, 2015: A missed extra point from Nick Rose overshadows quarterback Jerrod Heard’s record-breaking day as Texas falls to California, 45-44. Heard racked up 527 total yards.

Oct. 10, 2015: Texas shocks No. 10 Oklahoma with a 24-17 win at the Cotton Bowl. Strong temporarily silences his critics. 

Oct. 31, 2015: One-win Iowa State shuts out the Longhorns, 24-0, in Ames, Iowa. Texas goes on to finish the season 5–7 and miss a bowl game. 

Sept. 5, 2016: Strong picks up his biggest victory as head coach with a 50-47, double-overtime win over No. 10 Notre Dame.

Oct. 8, 2016: Texas falls, 45-40, to Oklahoma, marking a three-game losing streak for the season.

Oct. 29, 2016: The Longhorns top No. 8 Baylor, 35-34, and re-ignite their bowl hopes after stumbling to a 3–4 start.

Nov. 19, 2016: One-win Kansas shocks Texas, 24-21, in overtime. Strong says he doesn’t know what his future at Texas holds.

Nov. 25, 2016: Strong ends the season with a 31-9 loss to TCU, capping off a three-game losing skid and bringing about another 5–7 finish. Texas fires him the next morning.

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Strong leaves Texas with legacy of highs and lows