TallyBull

Jay Gruden might be possible and would be interesting...

Can someone clarify how much TOTAL money USF would have to pay to fire Skip? Is it $2.5 million TOTAL (one lump sum) or is that for a term of years per year through 2017 - $12.5 million total ($2.5 million x 5 years = $12.5 million)? Greg? Anyone? Obviously, it makes a big difference. GoBulls83 is right.

it's total. he is guaranteed $500k per year. he has 5 years left.

If that's true, seems to me money wouldn't be the impediment to firing Skip. Not to say that's insignificant money, but it's not prohibitive. However, doesn't mean they'll pull the trigger (for a variety of other reasons, they'll probably keep him).

Can someone clarify how much TOTAL money USF would have to pay to fire Skip? Is it $2.5 million TOTAL (one lump sum) or is that for a term of years per year through 2017 - $12.5 million total ($2.5 million x 5 years = $12.5 million)? Greg? Anyone? Obviously, it makes a big difference. GoBulls83 is right.

HOT, just like the rest of the athletic program, lacks in tradition. 3 (or 4) directors in 16 years....Kinda makes it hard to establish much of anything. The first director, Sid Haton came from Oregon and recognized what a college marching band should be. The 2nd director, Michael Robinson and his #1 guy Steve Visnage came with more of a drum corps/competitive marching mentality. Hopefully, Dr. McCutcheon has a little better of an idea of what a college marching band should be...

He doesn't... and lack of tradition is no excuse for lack of focus, pride and just doing it the right way. All of these kids have been in marching band before... most of them in good HS programs or they wouldn't have been able to get into the USF school of music... They know what's required.

You dont have to be in the SoM to be in the marching band.

Hell, you dont have to be a student at USF. You can enroll as a "Non-Degree Seeking Student" at USF and take the class.

You don't even have to enroll, you just don't get paid. Do they still offer a stipend?

Heck, there wasn't even an audition.

Yes... they get a stipend.

$200 first year member

$500 returning member

$600 leadership member

The money really isnt worth the time they put in....Two-Three 3 hour practices during the week, plus giving up a half-dozen Saturdays during the semester.

Nobody is doing it for the money.

I wish they had stipends when I did it! I wonder when they implemented that change.

FSU is still only going to bring the pep band. I live in Tally, and my wife's cousin is in the Chiefs. The reason why has to do with money - not tickets or anything else. They're already going to bus the whole group down to Miami this year; they don't want to pay to bus the band to both Miami and Tampa. Miami is the more traditional rivarly, so they chose to send the full band there.

I was a member in the first year of HOT, when Sid Haton was director. Give these kids a break. They're doing their best, and doing what they enjoy. They've also volunteering to do it through the classes they take (when I attended we practiced two evenings a week). Unlike football players, they weren't recruited out of high school to play trumpet, and most of them are not on scholarship for music.

USF has never backed down from a challenge... Nobody expects us to win... We have nothing to lose really, but FSU has a LOT to lose... I hope our guys play loose and our coaches coach us to win (not not lose) the game... GO BULLS!

I see wins against Temple and maybe UCONN. But that's it. 4-8 overall, 2-5 in Big East.

You're right, they could also beat UCONN. But I can't see them doing better than 4-8. I hope I'm wrong but this defense isn't competitive.

I don't see us beating Syracuse. I could be wrong, but they have offense. We have a bad defense and an inconsistent offense. We might beat Temple but I think we'll lose the rest of our games and close the year at 3-9.

Our secondary doesn't anticipate where the ball is going and try to make a play before the pass is complete. They wait until the pass is complete, then try to tackle. And often, they tackle poorly. Recipe for disaster.

Jimbo's just being polite. FSU is pissed over that game in Tallahassee and will show us how much next weekend.

When we had defense, at least we had hope... Our defense is not very good at all right now, so I can't really concoct a theory to win. Even if they turn the ball over several times, FSU will still win by at least two touchdowns. Sad, but true.

Edit: wife's cousin not sister's

Only a pep band is coming from FSU. 100 members. My sister's cousin is in the marching chiefs. They'll play the typical chants/cheers but it won't be as bad.

Fair or not Pitt has tradition to get it through frequent coaching changes whereas USF doesn't. Sure Pitt has done well against USF (haven't most Big East programs?) over the last three years but how has it done as a program overall both in terms of record and reputation? Not well. First two losses this year were brutal.

I'm not saying changes may or may not be warranted but it just seems like everyone wants blood after a single loss. I think it's the tension of not being able to change the players like in the NFL. But I'm not convinced changing the coach three years into his contract - one-fifth the age of the program- will fix the problem.

I'm frustrated too but not ready to give up on Holtz. I didn't anticipate a perfect season anyways and he could still turn things around this year. I'll evaluate his body of work in December/January, not September.

What I need to see to stay on his bandwagon is a team that is at least 4-3 in the Big East this year, 7-5 overall. Otherwise it will be very difficult to argue he has earned his paycheck or renewal (even though he will still get both for the foreseeable future).

I don't think frequent head coach changes are good for the program or the university. I would not have renewed him so soon, though. That was a mistake IMO.

Hard to say, but I generally think we win 3 out of 4 times we play this game. A loss would be embarrassing (and it should be).

BJ is a talented player (probably running back), but is not a QB. He's been working at QB for many years now, so he can occassionally look like a decent QB, but it seems clear to me he has hit a cieling. At the same time, I agree that he's probably the best we've got right now at the position. And that problem - a different problem, really - falls on coaching.

I want players who want to be here. That's why I'm fine with it when a HS player reneges on a commitment; better now than later, IMO.

Godfrey was recruited here, and he passed on us. I say good luck elsewhere, but not here. I'd rather go to battle with guys like Floyd who clearly want to be here, even if it means more work to be a top-tier team.

We need depth at all positions, including wide receiver, but particularly the secondary. I wish we'd move T-Rex back and focus on the secondary a little more...

That said - welcome, D'Vo! You've got some cojones to commit following last night's disaster. Suggests to me this commitment will stick, but we'll have to wait and see...

I'd rather see him stay, but if he's willing to consider leaving, in year 2 of a 5-year contract, for an NCAA sanctions-addled UNC, then I say good riddance. I'd rather have a no-name coach that wants to stick around and make it work than a name coach who's looking to get out at the earliest opportunity.

For that reason, Skip needs to address these rumors with a definitive "I'm not going anywwhere," and fast. If he's committed, he shouldn't play coy or evade the question. If he's evasive, that would tell us a lot, because even if he ends up staying, it means he's giving other opportunities serious thought.

Nothing's impossible. But I think it's HIGHLY unlikely Holtz leaves any time soon, unless it's an offer he can't refuse (e.g. Notre Dame). In the grand scheme of things, North Carolina isn't a big enough upgrade (if it's an upgrade at all) over USF. I'd perceive it to be a lateral move, with ultimately less upside.