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5 potential replacements for Charlie Strong at Texas

By Rob Wolkenbrod

Oct 15, 2016; Austin, TX, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Charlie Strong observes his team during warmups against the Iowa State Cyclones at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brendan Maloney-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 15, 2016; Austin, TX, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Charlie Strong observes his team during warmups against the Iowa State Cyclones at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brendan Maloney-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sep 10, 2016; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; LSU Tigers head coach Les Miles and the LSU Tigers make their way to Tiger Stadium prior to kickoff against the Jacksonville State Gamecocks. Mandatory Credit: Crystal LoGiudice-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 10, 2016; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; LSU Tigers head coach Les Miles and the LSU Tigers make their way to Tiger Stadium prior to kickoff against the Jacksonville State Gamecocks. Mandatory Credit: Crystal LoGiudice-USA TODAY Sports /

3. Les Miles

Since being fired by LSU, Les Miles has mostly laid low. He did an interview on College GameDay about his time in Baton Rouge, but that’s about it. However, don’t expect Miles to be out of the headlines for long, especially with the college football season over halfway over.

It would be shocking to see teams not call the 62-year-old. He has two National Championship appearances on his résumé, including one victory. His LSU teams had never been bad, but when you go almost one decade without a title win, especially with Alabama winning every other year, it leads to pressure. So, the school fired Miles four games into the season.

If Texas lets go of Charlie Strong, expect them to at least make a phone call to Miles. It’s not definite if he wants to return to coaching, but with the Longhorns likely targeting big names, this should be a candidate they look into.

An issue with Miles had been his offense. He wasn’t able to recruit quarterbacks but consistently developed running backs. This includes Alfred Blue, Leonard Fournette, Jeremy Hill, and Spencer Ware. As for the signal-callers, JaMarcus Russell had one standout year but left for the 2007 NFL Draft. Other than that, this position has been scarce under Miles.

If the former Oklahoma State coach lands the Texas job, he could finally work with an intriguing quarterback prospect in Shane Buechele. This may arguably be the best one Miles has had at the position, so he could recruit and build the other positions around him. Given all the stout defenses he put together in the SEC, any improvement to a poor Longhorn defense may make them one of the best in the Big 12. The conference has struggled on this side of the ball for years.

What could hold back Miles from getting a job is the use of the quarterback and stubbornness to change his game plan in LSU. His teams often looked the same through 12 years, despite finding success. It ultimately led to his demise and wanted a change in direction. If Texas can’t overlook this, he won’t land there.

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