AUSTIN, Texas -- Somewhere along the way, Charlie Strong was miscast as a football recluse who only wanted to coach football and do nothing else.

That image, which has never resonated with the people who truly know him, is the reason some wondered if the enormity of the Texas head football coaching job, and everything that comes with it, including its own television network, would eventually engulf Strong.

Strong, who just wrapped up his second spring at Texas, is the first to admit that he's never going to be confused for one of his old bosses, Steve Spurrier -- although Strong can tell some priceless stories about the Head Ball Coach. Cracking wise with the media and offering up witty soundbites aren't high on Strong's list of priorities.

Coaching football is -- more precisely, returning Texas to national prominence is -- but there's also a lot more to Strong than simply being a football coach.

He's personable, thoughtful and has a terrific sense of humor. It's just that he doesn't always let everybody see it. Most of all, he's as real as the day is long.

Talk to the coaches who have coached with him or the players who have played for him, and you'll get the same feedback from all of them. Strong is a master when it comes to relationships, in part because he is so genuine, and that's a quality that has served him well in his 32 years in the coaching profession.

Yet, there's still that stigma that he's uncomfortable around the media and/or being in the public eye.

"When people don't know you, they're going to say what they're going to say about you," Strong said recently while relaxing just outside his office. "I know that label is out there, but I do everything I'm asked to do, with the Longhorn Network and anybody else. It's not going to swallow me up. I enjoy getting out there, meeting people and speaking to people. It's part of what we do."

In fact, it was Strong's idea to take his weekly radio show on the road to a local restaurant in Austin, Pluckers Wing Bar, and he mingles with fans and signs autographs during breaks in the show.

"There are so many people counting on me. That's why I can't fail. I have to be successful."

Well aware that his predecessor, Mack Brown, was one of the best ever at doing all of the things it takes outside of football to be the face of the Texas program, Strong isn't trying to follow in anybody's footsteps. He's too busy being himself.

Every morning, he's still out there pounding the pavement on one of his patented 5 a.m. runs, and he's usually the last one to leave at night. But that doesn't mean he's tied to the office. When one of his daughters, Hailee or Hope, has a function at school or a sporting event, Strong is quick to break away, transforming from coach to dad.

His girls were entrenched in Louisville with their friends and in their schools, and that played a part in Strong turning down the Tennessee job in 2013. And when Texas came calling -- even with it being Texas -- it was still gut-wrenching for Strong to uproot his family and move.

For the record, Hailee and Hope have settled in nicely in Austin, and so has their dad.

Strong jokes now that he knows exactly where his reputation for wanting to coach in a bubble took on a life of its own. He was at Louisville, and the Cardinals were having their first day of spring practice. It just so happened to coincide with Louisville playing in the NCAA men's basketball tournament.

"Nobody in the media showed up for our first practice. I mean, nobody," Strong chuckled. "I have a ton of respect of Coach [Rick] Pitino and understand how important basketball is there. But just send me a student writer. Send me anybody. So I said, ‘If you don't want to show up for the first day, you can't come back anymore.'

"That's where it all started. From then on, it just took off."

Ultimately, Strong will be evaluated at Texas by how many games he wins and who he beats -- and not by how many people he charms. It's uncanny how the peripheral things fade into oblivion when you're winning, particularly when you're winning championships. Strong is realistic about where the program is right now and doesn't mind saying that the Longhorns still need another top recruiting class before they'll be ready to contend. At the same time, he has been careful to remind everybody that the guy before him was pretty good and didn't exactly leave the program in shambles.

Contrast that to some of the things you've heard from other coaches in recent years taking over at marquee programs.

"You come in and try to build something right away and build on what was already here because there was a foundation already laid," Strong said. "It wasn't so much changing the culture, because I followed a guy who was here for 16 years and won a national championship. It was more about us putting our mark on it."

Strong brought in Tony Dungy and Lou Holtz to talk to the Texas team this spring. Their message has echoed what Strong has been preaching since he arrived.

"I told the players this: You walk into a program that's rich with so much tradition and so much pride. A commitment to excellence is all around you," Strong said. "So now, it's time for us to go make a commitment to excellence, and it starts with us as a coaching staff and making sure we give our players a chance to go be successful. Then it's the players taking advantage of it and understanding that mediocrity is unacceptable. Let's go be the best, and that can be done here."

Strong isn't making any excuses for last season. The Longhorns seemingly had rebounded from a tough start and won four of five games, but the bottom fell out in the last two. They were trounced 48-10 by TCU in the regular-season finale at home, then managed just 59 total yards in a 31-7 loss to Arkansas in the bowl game.

"It still burns, the way the season ended," Strong said. "The whole team has a chip on their shoulder, and should have."

Of course, Strong doesn't need any extra motivation. He spent a career getting passed over for head coaching jobs until he got his break at Louisville in 2010. And, now, he has the keys to one of the true Rolls-Royces in college football.

"There are so many people counting on me," Strong said, his eyes blazing with conviction. "That's why I can't fail. I have to be successful. The first season didn't go well, certainly not as well as we expected. The good thing about it is that Year 2 you get to start a new chapter.

"What will be written this season about this program?"