Judge Calls Out Charlie Strong While USF Football Player Appears in Court on Sexual Assault Charges

Earlier this week, South Florida Bulls defensive end LaDarius Jackson was arrested on charges of sexual battery and false imprisonment. He is accused of sexually assaulting a female student in her dorm room on Monday afternoon. Jackson appeared in court on Wednesday and the judge, who graduated from South Florida, took the opportunity to call out new head coach Charlie Strong.

Via WTSP:

"“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, the former Texas Longhorns coach, was hired as South Florida’s head coach in December. Jackson is the second football player arrested since Strong took over. Defensive back Hassan Childs was arrested in March following a road rage incident.

Neither of the arrested players were recruited by Strong. Strong cleaned house in his first year at Texas and only dealt with a handful of legal issues in 2015 and 2016.