More Crap From the Trib - this time not from Brett

[USFishin]

Are USF Assistants Trying To Get Away From Leavitt?

By MARTIN FENNELLY | The Tampa Tribune

What's going on with South Florida football?

"Jungle" Jim Leavitt's program can't hold on to its coaches these days. And that's not good news.

No, not even that pinch-me win in the inaugural magicJack St. Petersburg Bowl (Where were you when it happened?) was enough to keep long-time defensive coordinator Wally Burnham, who has left to be defensive coordinator at Iowa State.

Already departed is offensive coordinator Greg Gregory, off to be offensive coordinator at fledgling program South Alabama after being demoted to tight ends coach by Leavitt after Gregory interviewed with Urban Meyer for the tight ends position at Florida.

Talk about tight ends...

What's going on with "Gentleman" Jim's program?

I thought that after 12 years this program stood for something, at least enough to keep guys from jumping ship.

Yes, it happens to other programs. Coaches leave. Coaches jump.

But Iowa State? South Alabama?

I think the Bulls will miss Burnham. I think they'll miss Gregory. And I'll be stunned if Leavitt replaces them with anyone but men who already are on his staff, coaches who are out of work or coaches from lesser programs.

That's where USF always gets its coaches.

It's still not a magnet.

If anything, coaches want to get away from the demanding Leavitt. Or so it seems.

Yes, Burnham worked as USF co-defensive coordinator or defensive coordinator for eight seasons, but he clearly wanted out, and it wasn't just more money or that he'll be working with his son Shane, who is also joining the Iowa State coaching staff.

Iowa State?

Burnham, 67, is leaving the state (where he'll eventually retire) and a defense that ranked 10th in the nation in 2008 for the snowdrifts and lost causes in Ames. That's how badly he wanted out.

And how did it look that Gregory, whose offense averaged 400 yards per game the past two seasons, wanted to take a position job at UF? I don't think it looked awful (it is Florida, after all), but Leavitt apparently did.

The bottom line is that USF President Judy Genshaft and athletic director Doug Woolard should be wondering why a guy like Burnham wanted out.

I think Burnham was the backbone of that defense, not just to the coaches, but to players, too.

By the way, secondary coach Troy Douglas is leaving, too, for North Carolina.

Meanwhile, I keep trying to think of the last time Leavitt hired a coach away from a program of equal stature or better.

Is USF a destination or a simply means to an end?

We're a long way from the early days, when Leavitt worked in trailers and built USF from nothing, but we keep hearing about it every time this team is on TV. I think we've thanked him enough.

The bottom line is the Bulls haven't broken through for a Big East title, and I don't see it next season, either. Last year, they went 8-5, 2-5 in the Big East. I'm not seeing this great leap forward. And having guys head out the door isn't going to help.

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/feb/19/are-usf-assistants-trying-get-away-leavitt/sports/

Nowhere does it mention that most high school OC's have a larger play book than Gregory and that he should have been fired after last year anyways.  Just praise for him and how much of a "wonderful" job he did while he was here.  What a load of BS.

[Mag Pie]

Wow, talk about a stupid article.

[usf97]

I don't really have a problem with the article. I love CJL and think he has done a bang up job and had what looks to be a great recruiting class. But you have to ask these questions. Not to say you will do anything about it but why are all of these people jumping ship? Is it just the pay? Is it Leavitt? I would have to assume there are a variety of reasons but the timing is curious.

[CowbellBandit]

I created an account with the Trib just to post this.

Posted by ( USFHudson ) on 02/19/2009 at 10:02 am.

Absolutely uninformed and inflammatory.Gregory should have been fired for a lack of diversity. It was a miracle we averaged 400 yds a game. Burnham wanted to bring notoriety to his son's team, and get the opportunity to work with him, and be near his family.Get your facts straight.By the by, everyone I know hates the Tribune for its uninformed, fly-by-night reporting on USF. It might do you well to give a **** about the local team.

[VeryBullish]

The tribune is a scab paper. Never bought it. Never will.

[E.T.]

Looking at facts . . .

Gregory was gonna be gone, no suprise.

No suprise a DB coach leaves for a higher paying job.

Wally was a suprise, but "wanting to get away" - after 9 years  :

And I'll be stunned if Leavitt replaces them with anyone but men who already are on his staff, coaches who are out of work or coaches from lesser programs.

That's where USF always gets its coaches.

Hmmm ... where did McCarney & Wally come from ?

Meanwhile, I keep trying to think of the last time Leavitt hired a coach away from a program of equal stature or better.

This is where fans come in ...

This is like listening to a drunk on the corner of the bar . . . UNinformed.

[crambone]

ucky

[Brad]

I don't really have a problem with the article. I love CJL and think he has done a bang up job and had what looks to be a great recruiting class. But you have to ask these questions. Not to say you will do anything about it but why are all of these people jumping ship? Is it just the pay? Is it Leavitt? I would have to assume there are a variety of reasons but the timing is curious.

But did he ask the questions?  No, he just through his typical toxic waste out there.  It will do nothing other than create rumorsjust as the Trib did during our Basketball head coach search. 

With Burnham and Douglas gone, why wouldn't the little gopher ask them for a comment?  Perhaps he's afraid he won't get the answers he wants and then there goes his latest Leavitt-bashing piece - right down the toilet.

We also need to make a mature adult note that Gregory didn't jump ship.  So far, "all these people" are Burnham and Douglas. 

Anyway, I guess this just continues the irresponsible scribbling from the Trib/TBO malcontents.

[Minotaur]

Does any shade of green goggles work or do you have to order them special?

Now I prefer this: Run down/devalue the ex-coaches and come out smelling like Ferdinands' flowers.

Thoughts on three coaches leaving USF ... but the tease allows me to ruminate a bit on three USF assistants leaving in the past week.

-- First, I think it's worth noting where all three coaches were professionally when they came to USF. Defensive backs coach Troy Douglas said yesterday he was "surviving" as a coach, having just taken a job as running backs coach at North Texas after being lost his position at Indiana. Greg Gregory had been out of football for the first time in his professional life, working in pharmaceutical sales in Ohio after coaching the previous 24 seasons. Same for Wally Burnham, who has coached every year since 1971, except 1999, after he'd been fired as part of Brad Scott's staff at South Carolina and was out of coaching for a year. Leavitt remembered Tuesday that Burnham's original salary at USF was just $36,000 in 2000, when he came on as defensive ends coach.

Burnham and Gregory both quickly earned coordinator jobs -- Burnham was co-coordinator after just one season, Gregory after two. They leave a much different Bulls program than the one they signed on to help -- when all three came on board, USF had never been ranked nationally, and except for Douglas, hadn't been in the Big East yet. There's something to be said about the turnover in the past week, for sure, but Leavitt will do well if the three coaches he hires all stay on his staff three seasons, the shortest tenure of those leaving.

http://blogs.tampabay.com/usf/2009/02/thoughts-on-thr.html

[Brad]

If he (Fennelly) asked the former coaches to comment instead of simply starting another "high school style" rumor, I'd be able to read some real journalism - through shades of any color, including Brett and Fennelly's color (envy - green).

Had to edit my post after the post above mine was edited and an Auman comment included.  My comments are not about the SPT piece.