Jim Leavitt out at USF

I've got to think the ADs at Kansas, Tech and South Florida all attended the same NCAA seminar or read the same legal journal article about coaches and school liability.
The last coach I can think of who was canned for mistreating people was Bob Knight. Before that it was Woody Hayes, maybe Frank Kush. And now three in one season? What gives?

 

Gruden has great respect for Leavitt.

 

Serious breach of daring etiquette. Skipping dare and double dog dare is a big no no.

 

But there is precedence in going straight from a double dog dare to a triple dog dare.

 

You can tell this school doesn't know dick when it comes to operating a football program. Good luck (a) getting a coach in place in enough time to (b) hold onto whatever recruiting class you have left. Shoulda been handled a month ago.

 

Agreed, but a school USF's size that has recently given Leavitt a pretty sizable contract had to make sure when they fired him, they had cause. Kansas and Texas Tech were banking on being able to reach a settlement.

 

I think this is a clear message that if you are an abrasive sort of guy, you better win at a very high level or you will be gone.

That is the one thing Leach, Mangino and Leavitt had in common was they had a lot of success, got big deals and then leveled off some and as a result their acts wore thin.

Administrations get tired of boorish acts quickly when they aren't producing championships, especially at a big price tag in a bad economy, that is why they fire them "for cause" (so they don't have to pay buy-outs or severance)

 

A school USF's size -- you mean one with 35,000 undergrads?

 

No, one with a football program that's still in its infancy and doesn't have boosters who can spring for a $3 million buyout.

I think they've been Division I for a decade maybe? All the more reason why what Leavitt did there was so impressive.

 

Division I since 2001. Their first division I win was at Pitt (Thanks, Wlat!)

Gee, Mangino, Leavitt and Leach all gone. What's the connection? Bill Snyder. Leavitt and Mangino were both assistants under Snyder at K-State. And Leach was an assistant under Bob Stoops, who was an assistant under Snyder. Wonder what skeletons are in 'Ol Bill's closet...aside from beat the Louisiana Sisters of the Poor 77-0 and calling it a "character builder" for his team.

 

Here is USF's official response. Thought it was interesting that it was all about the one incident. Thought they might try to splatter him some more:


http://www.usf.edu/pdf/Enclosure-1-Leavitt-Review-Final.pdf

 

The Snyder connection is definitely not a coincidence.