Mississippi State football head coach Joe Moorhead: right man, right place?

A Lone Star debacle

After a splendid term as the Florida defensive coordinator, Strong took on the daunting task of repairing the Louisville program splintered during the Steve Kragthorpe era (another seemingly good coach at the wrong school.)

Strong proved his coaching mettle at Louisville by going and 37 and 15  and losing only three times his last two years. His record at Louisville was very similar to ousted Texas head coach Mack Brown’s years at North Carolina before going to Texas, also only losing three times his last two years.

Wrong school or school gone wrong

But Texas never really wanted Strong. Texas thought they could have any coach, and they wanted Nick Saban. Heavy hitting Longhorn boosters rebelled against the Strong hire, strong bowed up, and his fate became predetermined.

Strong never posted a winning record. He was another good coach at the wrong school – or perhaps in this case,  a school gone wrong.

Texas responded by hiring a coach who Texans know and who knows Texans: Houston head coach Tom Herman.

After working as a Texas football graduate assistant, Herman coached at Sam Houston State, Texas State,  and Rice. Herman then spent five years as offensive coordinator at the Big Ten’s Iowa and Ohio State  before being hired by Houston as head coach.