Pete Thamel from SI.com is reporting Charlie Strong will remain at Louisville after turning down Tennessee's offer. Thamel implies that Strong will get a significant raise. The Cardinals have a move to the ACC on the horizon and should get the bulk of its 10-2 squad back next season.
Strong has long been the non-Gruden choice of this blog, and now Tennessee strikes out on both Mike Gundy and Strong 24 hours after Arkansas and Auburn got their men. If Tennessee's job really was the most desirable opening on the table, it sure doesn't look that way after 17 days of this coaching search.
Where do the Vols turn now? The names you've heard before - Larry Fedora, Butch Jones, Al Golden - along with some others as we move on down the list. If you count Gruden and Jimbo Fisher...uh, we're not doing it right thus far.
We'll have an emergency podcast at the conclusion of tonight's Tennessee-Virginia basketball game around 9:30 ET to figure out where this goes from here.