Charlie Strong joining Urban Meyer’s Jacksonville Jaguars staff
By CJ Errickson
Charlie Strong is part of a new era with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
After an extensive search, the Jacksonville Jaguars have hired Urban Meyer as their head coach. The Former Florida and Ohio State head coach is already assembling his coaching staff, and former South Florida head coach Charlie Strong became one of Meyer’s first hiring in Jacksonville.
Strong was employed under head coach Nick Saban as a defensive analyst for the championship-winning Alabama in 2020. Prior to the Crimson Tide, the Arkansas native posted a 74-53 win/loss record as a Division I head coach between three different football programs. Just like Meyer, the former two-time Big East Coach of the Year is making his inaugural leap to the NFL. Strong will probably be Meyer’s linebackers coach, per Brett McMurphy of Stadium.
Strong will be working with a linebacker group with two proven veterans in Myles Jack and Joe Schobert. However, there will undoubtedly be more players added to the position this offseason. The cultivation and development of the new influx of talent could not have fallen into better hands.
Charlie Strong can assist in the Jacksonville Jaguars’ cultural shift.
While Strong has not coached at the NFL level, his relationship with Meyer is important to note. The duo spent five seasons together on the Florida Gators coaching staff, where they won two National Titles in 2006 and 2008. Strong proved that he was a defensive-minded coach that could maximize the production of players when it mattered most.
League source tells me former Texas, USF and Louisville head coach Charlie Strong has not yet decided on joining Urban Meyer's staff. Strong was Meyer's DC at UF and was pivotal part of the 2 national title teams. Ohio State and Oklahoma scored a combined 28 points in two games.
— Michael DiRocco (@ESPNdirocco) January 14, 2021
He may only be a positional linebacker coach in 2021, but the Jacksonville Jaguars are looking to do more than just improve on the field. Meyer said in his introductory press conference on Friday that if you don’t want to truly be in Jacksonville, then you don’t belong. He also pointed out he doesn’t want good coaches, only great ones, and Strong fits that description.
Strong is a key building block of a new era in Duval in 2021. His role is much bigger than simply that of a position coach, he will be a key leader in building a winning culture for the foreseeable future in Jacksonville.