Today has been a crazy day for USF students. Classes begin again on Monday, and many were greeted back to Tampa with an extremely unusual chill in the air,the promise of a new year, and the end of an era. Coach Jim Leavitt, proprietor and mother of USF Football was terminated with cause for grabbing Joel Miller by the neck, and slapping him twice during a tirade at halftime of the Homecoming game vs. Louisville on November 21st. Along with allegations of a cover-up that did not achieve, Leavitt was already under fire from students given the recent inability to get the team 'over the hump' during the second halves of the past three seasons. Leavitt is now the third head football coach at a major university to lose his job over mistreatment of players, joining Mike Leach (formerly of Texas Tech) and Mark Mangino (formerly of Kansas) in the last 2 months.
This is a lot to take in for us students who actively participate in USF athletic events. We have never known another coach. So there are several things I feel, as students, we should look at going forward. Number 1, Leavitt was a great coach. He was one of the many reasons USF is what it is today. Leavitt built a nationally recognized and ranked advertisement for our school. Registration has never been higher, and, as shallow as it sounds, it is kind of because the team was doing so well. The school became more than just another college, a third or forth option on most people's lists for universities in Florida. People want to come here now, while traditions are beginning, instead of participating at schools where everything has been done before.
Number 2, What he did was wrong, and, as students, we should feel betrayed. According to several credible eyewitnesses, Leavitt did indeed strike Joel Miller. That is inappropriate enough as it is. What really upsets me is that he, like Leach and Mangino, tried his best to cover the incident up. During the University's investigation, performed by Human Resources Associate Vice President, Sandy Lovins and Bill McGillis, Executive Associate Athletic Director, it was shown that Leavitt was inconsistent with his story on several occasions when speaking with the two investigators, and in public statements thereafter, as well as being in complete contradiction with several other players' testimonies. In layman's terms, he tried and failed to cover his tracks. These actions are a far cry from the virtues he openly and publicly described himself as possessing.
Number 3, Where do we go from here? We want to win. We want to win now. How, given the smallest recruiting budget in the Bowl Subdivision, are we supposed to attract a big name coach to replace Leavitt? ESPN has reported a number possible candidates, including Tommy Tuberville, former Head Coach at Auburn. Whatever happens, it needs to happen fast. The recruiting process needed to begin, essentially, today.
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