Charlie Strong has been employed as South Florida head coach for about six months now, and he’s already facing some very bad publicity.
Judge Margaret Taylor, who actually attended USF, sent a strongly-worded message to Strong during a hearing with Bulls defensive end Ladarrius Jackson, who is charged with sexual battery and false imprisonment. Jackson is the second USF player to be arrested in three months, with Hassan Childs charged with aggravated assault in March.
“I graduated from USF, I’m an alumni, graduated from USF in 1989, long before there was a football team,” Taylor said to Jackson, via 10News. “And while USF may not be the top-ranked school in the nation, I was never ashamed of being an alum until now.
“Embarrassed and ashamed, Mr. Jackson. Let’s just say that my USF diploma is not proudly hanging in my office right now.”
Taylor then turned her fire on Strong.
“And, I have a message for your coach, as well,” Taylor said. “Coach Strong, if you are listening, in the last couple of months there have been two arrests of your players for very violent felonies. This court, and I’m sure I’m not alone, questions whether you have control over your players. It’s fairly clear you do not have control of them off the field, and I guess only time will tell whether you have control over them on the field.
“I would implore you to think long and hard about whether being head coach at USF is a good fit for you before any other members of this community have to suffer at the hands of one of your players.”
Strong didn’t exactly impress the alumni at his previous job, either. At least that was just over losing football games, not this.
H/T CBS Sports
