Brett McMurph / AOL Fanhouse

[IncrediBULL]

Okay,  so lets recount what has happened in 1 short week.    The findings of Leavitt occured.  Joel Miller has said that he did abuse him and may be suing USF/Leavitt.  Leavitt is suing USF.  And USF has announced a new coach. 

It is well documented that BMcMurph and AOL/Fanhouse were the FIRST to announce that USF would be firing CJL, publish Leavitt's termination letter, publish the report findings, and now announce that Holtz would be named the new coach.  Clearly those were items only available to the top levels of USF.  Especially before the results were public knowledge.

It is not a great leap, for anyone with half a mind, to realize that somehow BMM is now in good graces with USF administration.  But why?  Becaused he cooperated with the Leavitt investigation and coughed up the names?  Because he knows more and is going to suppress that as long as he gets info first for some period of time?  Because he has always been fed information from someone within USF admin/athletics?

I heard Marty Finelli on TV last night berating Leavitt and said he had it coming to him.  Really?  I guess it is because he is buds with his ex coworker and is sticking up for him.  Heard another TBO/Trib guy on Rivals Radio today and he lambasted Leavitt, called him a bully, and said that he was not well liked by Athletics or Administration - this was an opportunity to get him out.  Anyway, the Trib has been pretty tough on Leavitt, because I think the guys are taking sides with McMurphy. 

Would find it interesting to hear from others what their thoughts are on this.

[BULLfreak]

really can we please move on from the Leavitt thing. He is no longer the coach and untill he or miller sues USF I don't want to hear anymore about this.

Happy Skip Holtz Day.

[cmhatter]

I'd like to move on as well.

To answer your question... It may just be a 'it you can't beat him, join him' type deals.

Who really knows though. One of the great USF mysteries.

[deters-]

No more Leavitt and Miller stuff unless one of them sues or goes to jail. Enough is enough!

[Rizman]

I would like to know why Brett has reported false information in the past and who his source is?  I think that Brett does not have the interest in the well being of USF at heart but had issues with Leavitt and decided to go on a campaign it just so happens this dropped into his lap.

Why did Greg not get the calls?  I would think Greg would have handled it better and the credibility.

[IncrediBULL]

really can we please move on from the Leavitt thing. He is no longer the coach and untill he or miller sues USF I don't want to hear anymore about this.

Happy Skip Holtz Day.

This is not about the Leavitt thing.  This is about Brett getting preferential treatment within USF athletics going forward.  Is that a short term or long term arrangement?  Does he have other stuff he is holding over USF that is enabling him to get ALL of the scoops? 

This could be an issue for the program.  It is like someone made a deal wtih the devil.  You watch, AOL/Fanhouse will be the first with most USF related news stories for some period of time.  Why is this significant, who ever heard of them before now?  He is trying to put them on the map (kind of like bleacher report). 

I just think that something smells, and we shoud all be aware and cognizant of it.  And be prepared to call USF on it when it goes over the line.  Short term gain on this one may end up in long term pain. 

[USFreak]

First off, I can't believe everybody is crapping down Leavitt's neck.  Yeah, the guy was a lot of things, but he also built the program to where it is an actual success. There were some big wins and certainly he put a national name on a unheard of commuter school.  That was all him - his ability to spot talent in a recruit somebody else might pass on, his working deep into the night, tireless dedication to the school and the players.  I truly believe he was never going to leave and planned to retire here.  That has all been ripped out from under him, but based on the reports it would seem he did it to himself.  He was a control freak and a hot head and I probably believe he didn't have enough to ever get USF over the hump.  His lack of discipline and crazy mood swings translated to his players -- they could totally motivate for the big game, but without some trick or 'new' motivational technique they couldn't get up for those other games.  His running up and down the sidelines like a maniac manifested itself on the field in the form of 15-yard personal fouls and the like.

In short, it seemed that Leavitt could truly no longer motivate the team to win those games like UConn, Louisville, etc.  So it probably came down to shaking a kid and slapping him.  I'm sure later it would have progressed to worse.  Leavitt never came close to winning the Big East and that probably didn't sit too well.

But in regards to the Brett angle....

It quite possibly could be true.  I don't think there is anybody in the main reaches of USF that loved the guy, but I also don't think Brett's thing was as much against USF as it was against Robert McCullum and Jim Leavitt.  These guys were absolute pricks to the media and, for the most part, they got back a lot of what they put out.  Sure there were friendlier media types to them, but given a story like this nobody really ever rushed to CJL's or RMac's rescue.   Correct me if I'm wrong but we haven't seen such bile on Stan Heath and while Seth's Greenberg's later years were racked with bad media that was more of his inability to close in Jan and February and lack of postseason appearances. Sooner or later every coach smells like fish if they don't succeed.

So, in short I'm sure Brett isn't the most popular guy on campus, but at the same time maybe he was good for this 'hit job.'   I think Brett probably had quite a few enemies at USF, but in the end it would appear Leavitt had more.  The sad commentary was this truly was the 'House that Jim Built.'  It was his baby and you could see (even if he's trying to recoup money) he did really want to continue coaching here.  His parents are here and I've attended games with some of his family in the past.  It is pretty embarrassing to be run out of town on something he pretty much built and gave his life to.

Again, in the end it is sad.  I've never known what to make of Brett and this situation.  Years ago I saw it all first hand and the ill-will was not imaginary, but at the same time I'm not sure a coach that was open and respectful of the media would get the same bad press as Leavitt from somebody like Brett.  I think any reporter is going to take a negative story and feel they need to get the scoop (after all, it sells papers), but in Leavitt's case he almost asked for them.  I think some of the issue with Leavitt may have been that there was something to these stories.  I'm not sure we see the same stuff on guys like Bowden or Urban Meyer.  Bowden has taken some heat, but it was more for his lousy offense over the past few years.  Meyer seems to have a chip on his shoulder, but it doesn't translate down in press conferences and he's not thumbing his nose at the media.

It is an art I suppose.  Sadly, even post-USF it would seem Jim is being advised to do some of the things maybe he did wrong during his USF tenure.  Instead of seeking forgiveness and opening up to folks he is in firm denial, in false control and pretty much saying everybody is wrong except him.  

I guess that is one way to do it.

[Cow Pie]

really can we please move on from the Leavitt thing. He is no longer the coach and untill he or miller sues USF I don't want to hear anymore about this.

Happy Skip Holtz Day.

+1

[2004USFChic]

I suggest a new BOARD for Jim Leavitt / Joel Miller stuff. I am very grateful for what CJL did for USF, BUT unfortunately (or fortunately) he is no longer the coach. MOST of us would like to move on. Maybe the ppl who are still interested in this saga can go to another board and post all they want about it, but the rest of us would like to move on...Just an idea to open a new board for those ppl that want to dwell on the past.

[Bullsfan2000]

I would say that after everything that has been uncovered about the way Leavitt handled this entire situation, that Mcmurphy is probably owed a great apology by a lot of USF fans.  Leavitt had a solid reputation as a person, and did great with the program, but not many people know what goes on behind closed doors, and if Leavitt's latest actions surrounding these events are a true indication of CJL's character or lack thereof, then I for one am glad that he is no longer leading our program and in a position to abuse his power and treat people horribly.