Strong, who led the Cardinals to an 11-2 record and a Sugar Bowl victory over third-ranked Florida this past season, was already under contract until 2018.

In three years as head coach of the Cardinals, Strong has won the past two Big East conference championships while posting a 25-14 record. In Dec. 2009, he took over a Cardinals program that was suffering from three straight losing campaigns and went 7-6 in his first year, earning co-Big East Coach of the Year honors.

Before becoming the head coach at Louisivlle, Strong spent seven seasons as defensive coordinator and associate head coach at the University of Florida, including a stint as the team's interim head coach in 2004.