Charlie Strong staying at Louisville after Tennessee talks

• Strong made the announcement at Louisville on Thursday morning
• Louisville and Strong are still working on new contract details
• The decision will help Louisville with recruiting dead period upcoming

Reports emerged this week that Louisville football coach Charlie Strong was being courted by the Tennessee. Strong ended that courtship on Thursday by announcing he would stay the school he has been with the past three seasons.

"My enthusiasm and heart is with the University of Louisville," Strong said. "How do you walk away from someone who believes in you?"

Strong also shed light on Tennessee's courtship.

"Tennessee called on Friday and an offer was made on Tuesday ," Strong said. "It never went back and forth."

Louisville worked to renegotiate Strong's contract on Wednesday. Sports Illustrated reported that the coach received a contract offer from Tennessee and declined it Wednesday after contemplating the decision for a few hours. SI said that on Wednesday night he and Louisville were finalizing a long-term extension that could be announced as soon as Thursday.

"(Louisville athletics director Tom Jurich) and I haven't sat down and talked about the contract," Strong said. "I just want to make sure my assistants are taken care of."

At his weekly news conference Monday, Strong created a stir when he was asked whether he would be back next season and responded, "I will say that at the right time."

He also irritated many fans when he suggested that they should support the Cardinals with the same passion that Kentucky fans have for the Wildcats. But now that misstep will probably be forgiven as the Cards prepare for their Sugar Bowl matchup with Florida on Jan. 2.

If Strong had left, the timing would have put Louisville in a bind. In addition to uncertainty about the upcoming bowl game, this is the middle of a contact period for recruiting. On Dec. 17 a 17-day "dead period" will begin, during which coaches cannot contact recruits. National signing day is Feb. 6.

"At this stage it makes it even more difficult for other coaches to come in and hold a class together," said Chad Simmons, a national recruiting analyst for Scout.com. "To do that now, you have to retain one or two people on the staff to keep things together. You've got less than two months to signing day to try to rebuild relationships and show these guys they can fit into your offensive or defensive scheme."

It appears that will not be an issue for Louisville.

Himmelsbach writes for The Courier-Journal in Louisville.