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AUSTIN, Texas -- Charlie Strong left a Louisville program that needed to punch its way into the national spotlight for the Texas Longhorns, who live smack in the middle with their enormous wealth, swagger, political intrigue and championship expectations. Wholesale Mens Nike Air VaporMax Moc Cool Grey/Hot Punch/White AH3397-006 . And thats just the off-the-field stuff. On the field, he inherits a team mired in mediocrity with a 30-21 record over the last four years, but still talented enough to come within 30 minutes of winning a share of the 2013 Big 12 title. Strong will be introduced as the Texas football coach Monday. In a statement released by the school Sunday, Strong said he was excited to be taking over one of the "premier programs" in the country. "Texas is one of those places that is always on your radar and a program anyone would dream of being a part of because you have a chance to compete on a national level every year," Strong said. "Its special because it has such great history, pride, tradition and passion for football." In the 53-year-old Strong -- the first black head coach of a mens program at Texas -- new athletic director Steve Patterson landed a coach whose teams went 23-3 the last two years, including a BCS bowl win over Florida and a blowout of Miami to end the 2013 season in the Russell Athletic Bowl. Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher, who has the No. 1 Seminoles in Monday nights national title game, praised the hire. Fisher was previously considered a possible target for Texas and would have faced Strong in the ACC when Louisville moves to that league next season. "I think hes done a tremendous job at Louisville, turning those guys around," Fisher said Sunday. "I think Charlies an excellent coach." Strong succeeded at a school that had to fight its way onto the national radar even in the good years. At Texas, the bad years draw just as much attention as the good ones, and college football will be watching to see how well he can unite a powerhouse program with a discontented fan base aching to return to the national elite. And how quickly he can win a lot of games. Strongs predecessor did that. Over 16 years, Mack Brown had 158 victories, and in 2005 he won Texas first undisputed national title in 36 years. From 2000-09, Texas averaged more than 10 wins a season and played in four BCS bowls, winning three. That success helped spur unprecedented financial growth. Texas ranks as the wealthiest athletic program in the country. A partnership with ESPN created the Longhorn Network, a 20-year deal worth at least $300 million to the university. But for all its wealth, Texas has struggled to deliver a championship legacy that lives up its sense of grandeur. Brown won just two Big 12 titles, while his archrival across his northern border, Bob Stoops at Oklahoma, won eight. Texas lone national championship in 44 years pales in comparison to Alabamas three from 2009-12. And the recent drop-off that started with a 5-7 record in 2010 got ugly by the end. When Texas started last season 1-2, some Texas fans even booed a public service announcement from Brown encouraging donations to charities. The turmoil also exposed on a national level the political fighting that embroiled the university and attempts by some school officials and prominent supporters to push Brown out a year ago. For more than two years, university regents have been fighting over whether to fire school President Bill Powers, who had been a key ally of Brown. Some of the same regents also were involved in talks with Alabama coach Nick Sabans agent in January 2013 in efforts to coax Saban into coming to Austin. That Strong will be the first African-American head coach of a mens program at Texas is significant at a school that resisted integration in the 1950s and 60s and had college footballs last all-white national champion in 1969. "This is a historic day for The University of Texas and a historic hire for our football team," Powers said. Until 2010, Texas had a residence hall named after former law school professor William Stewart Simkins, a Confederate colonel who also was an early organizer of the Ku Klux Klan in Florida after the Civil War. Texas is still fighting legal battles over race. Only now the school wants to keep an affirmative action admissions policy that allows the school to consider race for some applicants. But former Texas womens track coach Bev Kearney, who was pressured to resign in 2013 after revelations of a relationship with one of her athletes, has filed a discrimination lawsuit against Texas, arguing race was a factor in her case. Kearney is black. In 2009, just before he was hired at Louisville, Strong complained that hed been passed over for another job in part because his wife is white. Strong said it was difficult to leave Louisville, the school that was willing to give him his first head coaching job. "They have been great to me and my family, and it was very hard to say goodbye," Strong said. "But they know this was an opportunity I couldnt pass up." Wholesale Mens Nike Air VaporMax Plus Wolf Grey/Black-White 924453-007 . Fellow Argentina forward Gonzalo Higuain also had a brace for Napoli. And Samuel Etoo scored for his fourth different team. On a night of standout individual performances Wednesday, Schalke goalkeeper Timo Hildebrand had a game hell want to forget. Wholesale Mens Nike Air Vapormax Plus Cool Grey/Dark Grey-Metallic Silver 924453-005 . - Canadian tennis star Eugenie Bouchard has signed with WME-IMG, saying the sports management powerhouse will help maximize the value of my brand. http://www.wholesalevapormaxplus.com/wholesale-women-s-nike-air-vapormax-97-jogging-metallic-cashmere-team-red-black-white-ao4542-900.html . The top-ranked Williams carried her winning momentum from 2013 into the new season, beating No. 2-ranked Victoria Azarenka 6-4, 7-5 on Saturday to defend her title at the Brisbane International and set the tone for the Australian Open.ST. LOUIS -- Roman Polak was celebrating even before Alexander Steen scored the winning goal in Saturdays 4-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes. Polak had found Steen wide open in the middle of the ice and hit him with a long clearing pass, sending in Steen alone on Carolina goalie Justin Peters. At that point, Polak knew what was coming. "He didnt even shoot it and I was already celebrating because I know it is going in," Polak did. It did, giving Steen a league-leading 17 goals and the s a 3-2 lead with 6:20 gone in the third period. T.J. Oshie added an empty net goal with less than a minute left to insure the s fifth win in six games. Steen, who also had an assist, extended his scoring streak to 13 games, the longest for a since Pierre Turgeon had a 15-game streak in 1999-2000. He credited Polak and s defenceman Ian Cole with making the play to send him on Peters. "It was a good heads-up play to get the puck up," Steen said. "They were in the middle of a change and I found a hole." Peters, who made 28 saves, said that one hurt. "It stung getting scored on there in the third," Peters said. "He came down and made a good shot." The s won despite giving up two short-handed goals on the same power play for the first time in more than 20 years. St. Louis last allowed that to happen on Oct. 8, 1992 against the then-Minnesota North Stars. "Our power play has been good for us all year," s coach Ken Hitchcock said. "We made a couple of mistakes on entries. We didnt get it deep and they took advantage of it." Hitchcock said that Steens goal early in the thiird period was just what the team needed. Wholesale Mens Nike Air Vapormax Plus White/White - Red. "Big-time player, big goal," Hitchcock said. "We really needed that goal." Polak had a goal and assist for St. Louis. David Backes and Oshie also scored for the s and Brian Elliott made 18 saves. Eric Staal and Nathan Gerbe scored the Carolina goals. "I thought our effort was there; our complete level was there," Staal said. The s have scored first in their past 10 games, and did so again Saturday when Polak converted Chris Stewarts centring pass at 9:25 of the second period. Backes scored 2:11 later with a shot from a bad angle to make it 2-0. It appeared that the s were in position to add to their lead when Carolina received a bench minor for too many men at 15:05 of the period. Instead, the Hurricanes scored their first two short-handed goals of the season to tie the game. First, Staal sneaked between the s defence for a breakaway and beat Elliott with a backhand at 15:37. Less than a minute later, Elliott mishandled the puck along the right boards. Riley Nash stole it and centred to Gerbe and he put it in the vacant net at 16:34. NOTES: St. Louis, which had played the fewest games in the league coming into Saturday (17), will play seven more times before the end of the month starting Sunday in Washington. ... Carolinas Alexander Semin, who was hit with a hard check by Alex Pietrangelo in the first period, later left the game with what was announced as an upper body injury and did not return. ... Hitchcock earned his 618th win, moving him past Jacques Lemaire and into sole possession of ninth place on the wins list. ' ' '