Miami Herald: Leavitt Emerges As UM Candidate

[BullsBucs79]

Posted on Tue, Nov. 28, 2006      

UM | COACHING SEARCH

USF's Leavitt emerges as UM candidate

BY SUSAN MILLER DEGNAN

sdegnan@MiamiHerald.com

The college football coaching carousel is in a dizzying spin, with big names being fired, big names being hired and others just floated out there as possibilities.

Concerning the University of Miami opening, for which Rutgers coach Greg Schiano is considered No. 1 on the most wanted list, Texas Tech coach Mike Leach and former Wisconsin coach Barry Alvarez declined comment Monday.

But University of South Florida coach Jim Leavitt, whose Big East Bulls upset then-No. 7 West Virginia 24-19 on Saturday, spoke -- though he didn't say much.

''I'm not going to talk about the Miami job,'' Leavitt said Monday night by phone, laughing. ``I'm not even going to reply.''

He added: ``I love Florida. I grew up here. I came here in elementary school. All I'm going to say is I'm very fortunate with the job I have, and I love where I'm at.''

Leavitt, who will turn 50 on Dec. 5, grew up in St. Petersburg and built the USF program out of a trailer seven years ago. He has been the only coach the Bulls have had, and his 2005 team, which upset Louisville, was a victory from a BCS spot. USF is 8-4 this season, losing to No. 13 Rutgers by two points.

After USF's upset of West Virginia, ABC studio analyst Craig James mentioned Leavitt would be ''a good fit at Miami.'' Freddie Coleman of ESPN radio said Leavitt and Schiano should be the coaches Miami goes after.

When Leavitt was asked Monday if there was anything he wanted to say about any subject, he replied, ``I'm happy I have another day living and another day recruiting. Don't you love living in this state? There's nowhere better.

``Another day in paradise, every day we get up.''

Leavitt was reminded that Miami is in Florida, too, and he just laughed.

The Tampa Tribune reported that Leavitt's name also has been mentioned in respect to the Alabama opening, as coach Mike Shula was fired Monday.

The Tribune said Leavitt, who just finished the first year of a seven-year deal worth $7 million, previously was offered the Alabama job on two occasions and that he turned down a six-year, $9 million contract from Kansas State last November.

As for Leach, the Red Raiders coach with the innovative offensive mind, he said, ''I'd rather not,'' when asked through a Texas Tech representative to talk about the UM opening with The Miami Herald.

Alvarez, Wisconsin's athletic director, when asked through a spokesman if he would be interested in coaching Miami or had been contacted by the Hurricanes, said, ``I'm happy with the job I currently have. I have not been contacted by anyone at the University of Miami.''

In other UM news, defensive coordinator Randy Shannon was mentioned by at least one Texas radio station as a candidate for defensive coordinator at the University of Texas. Shannon did not answer calls Monday.

[E.T.]

''I'm not going to talk about the Miami job,'' Leavitt said Monday night by phone, [highlight]laughing[/highlight]. ``I'm not even going to reply.''

;D

He was quoted as laughing some 3 times  ;D

LOVE THE PRESS !!!

[Joe]

Still think Miami is Schiano's job to decline or take.

[Bull Matrix]

Schiano has basically declined the Miami job in my opinion. The facilities at Rutgers are better than Miami's right now, and Greg already has established a pipeline of talent from the South Florida area. I would be very surprised if he left.

[Guest]

Greg wants to succeed JoePa.  He will stay at Rutgers.

[EXBULL21]

Will be interesting to see if the Times or Trib has a story tomorrow with quotes from CJL.  Funny how a Miami paper is able to get through to him but our own backyard papers didn't??  Makes you wonder who can you believe?

[Bullpride08]

Will be interesting to see if the Times or Trib has a story tomorrow with quotes from CJL.  Funny how a Miami paper is able to get through to him but our own backyard papers didn't??  Makes you wonder who can you believe?

Are you kidding me the back-yard paper is the one that started all this mess.

The McMurphy resume article has been quoted by three other papers and some radio guys....

If you can't beat him, then get him a better gig seems to be the Trib's new motto.

Oh, btw, who was the jacka** on this board that said some of us should apologize to Brett because his 6-6 prediction looked accurate?  

[usf97]

To chime along with S Bien...I like how there really is no article here but they cut and paste from another speculative article and TA-DA! we have news.

I was thinking about this on the drive to work this morning. If you are a coach in the Big East....if your goal is to win a National Championship, why really would you leave for the ACC or SEC? The way I see it now is because of difficulty of schedule and the Conference Championship game...it is nearly impossible for any team in those 2 conferences to get into the Big game. I think the Big East doesn't get as much credit as the other conferences, sure, but you can go undefeated in the BIG East, Big 12, Pac-10, Big 10 or Notre Dame before the ACC or SEC. Just my 2 cents. I could see where we could actually equal or surpass FSU and Miami eventually because I don't think they are going to be the powerhouses they were used to being when they were the only team in their conferences assuming the BCS stays the same.

[Bullpride08]

To chime along with S Bien...I like how there really is no article here but they cut and paste from another speculative article and TA-DA! we have news.

I was thinking about this on the drive to work this morning. If you are a coach in the Big East....if your goal is to win a National Championship, why really would you leave for the ACC or SEC? The way I see it now is because of difficulty of schedule and the Conference Championship game...it is nearly impossible for any team in those 2 conferences to get into the Big game. I think the Big East doesn't get as much credit as the other conferences, sure, but you can go undefeated in the BIG East, Big 12, Pac-10, Big 10 or Notre Dame before the ACC or SEC. Just my 2 cents. I could see where we could actually equal or surpass FSU and Miami eventually because I don't think they are going to be the powerhouses they were used to being when they were the only team in their conferences assuming the BCS stays the same.

Yeah people forget somewhat that part of the rise to power for Miami and FSU was once they got good in the 80's as independents, winning a big time game here and there.  They got into conferences that were not as potent top to bottom as say the SEC, FSU in the ACC, and Miami BE...it allowed them to beat 6 teams, play 1-2 tough games, and bam they finished the year 11-1, 10-2 and in the top 10, sometimes being really dominant at 12-0 and a NC.  But once their conferences started taking football seriously the fun stopped.  For ten years no ACC really put any money into football outside of Gtech, and Clemson....suddenly NCST re-commits, Wake Forest, Maryland, Gtech, and Clemson and things shoot out like a cannon.  Now they added three teams...Being in the same conference means there just isn't any room for FSU and Miami to be both powerhouses like they were in the past.  To much of a gauntlet and when one is up, one must be down, that's the way it works.  

With USF, say look at next year.  Say the stars align, we beat Auburn and UNC, and then go undefeated in the BE and finish 12-0...  We're top 4-5, how can anyone argue with that, it's the same **** thing Miami did in the late 80's and through the 90's in the Big East to be construed as great, ditto for FSU.

They were dumb enough to complicate the road to the championships, and make them more difficult.  Smarter people would have had Shalala work a deal with the Big East.  I honestly believe Miami is a sinking ship in the ACC, in the Big East they were the conference's crown jewel in football, in the ACC they're just one of the many with long storied resumes, and yet they don't have as deep pockets as all their public school brethren in the ACC.  In the Big East there was a lot of private schools so they had the same limitations as Miami, in the ACC not so much.  If Miami falls here it may be impossible for them to recover.

USF could easily replace because the road-map we are using for success is identical to the one Miami and FSU used in the late 80's and early 90's to get their accomplishments successes.  

[flsportsfan83]

Will be interesting to see if the Times or Trib has a story tomorrow with quotes from CJL.  Funny how a Miami paper is able to get through to him but our own backyard papers didn't??  Makes you wonder who can you believe?

Are you kidding me the back-yard paper is the one that started all this mess.

The McMurphy resume article has been quoted by three other papers and some radio guys....

If you can't beat him, then get him a better gig seems to be the Trib's new motto.

Oh, btw, who was the jacka** on this board that said some of us should apologize to Brett because his 6-6 prediction looked accurate?  

That Jackass was me..... What a stupid post that was  :-[