Texas head coach Charlie Strong remains tough with drug policy

By Catherine Silverman | Sep 25, 2014

Sep 13, 2014; Arlington, TX, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Charlie Strong with his team after a loss against the UCLA Bruins at AT&T Stadium. The Bruins beat the Longhorns 20-17. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports /

Roger Goodell should take some notes from the University of Texas head coach Charlie Strong. (And, hey! Since he wants to meet with him, should have no problem asking questions.)

In the past year, UT Football’s new head coach has rained some pain down on his players, enforcing one of the strictest no-tolerance drug testing policies anyone has seen in eons. He drug tested in January, and then again following Spring Break. Any players considered “at risk” after the Spring Break testing have since undergone more frequent testing than others, and April 15th and July 19th saw rounds of testing for 18 and 15 players, respectively.

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Since taking over in January, a total of 188 tests have resulted in the dismissal of nine players from the team, with two more suspended for rule violations. Seem a little harsh?

Strong says no. According to ESPN, staying drug-free is a trade-off that he expects his players to succumb to. “You can think about it”, he stated. “The University of Texas, great academics, great athletics, what more could you ask for?”

The policy has been criticized by some as too harsh, but the no-tolerance atmosphere that Strong has brought to his program might be what the sport needs as a whole. The league is currently under some of the most intense scrutiny it’s seen in years; the domestic abuse media circus is riding on the tail of a huge, multi-million dollar concussion lawsuit that the NFL had barely put behind them.

The UT football program under head coach Mack Brown was undoubtedly a respectable program, yet in the past three years, Brown’s administration had only given 108 drug tests. That number has already been passed by under Strong’s regime, twofold– and the first season is barely under way.

Will this affect the way the team is made up? It’s too soon to tell. With no intention of backing down, though, Charlie Strong has ensured that his players will either clean up, or clean out their lockers.

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