My thoughts on Coach Holtz

[SANJAY]

After what happened with the Coach Leavitt, Coach Holtz was my #1 choice for this job, given the options available.  Meaning we weren't going to hire Saban away from Bama so who else was there.  A coach coming off 2 conference championships and with strong name recognition was as good as anyone else.  I think Skip is a good coach.  I think longterm he can get it done.

Having said that, he is not immune from criticism.  I expected a 6-6, 7-5 season and it could still happen.  However, in no scenario did I see a loss to Syracuse so he and the other coached better step it up because they need 3 more wins and there are no weak teams left. 

The coach's job is to put the best players and schemes together.  If BJ is on the field then I assume the staff thinks he is the best player at that position to run what the coach wants to do.  If this team does not go bowling (when every mediocre team in America does) then I will consider it a step backwards.  I won't come on here demanding he be fired, but this is big boy football for which he gets paid handsomely so the criticism will flow freely.

Finally, my loyalty is not to Skip Holtz, BJ Daniels or any individual coach or player (although I always hope all current and former Bulls find success), but it is to USF.  Go Bulls!

*Now back to our regularly scheduled complaining.

[cmhatter]

Great post... I agree

[smazza]

sorry

holtz should be given 2 years before you criticize him and 3 years to turn usf into a winner

[hbryan]

After what happened with the Coach Leavitt, Coach Holtz was my #1 choice for this job, given the options available.  Meaning we weren't going to hire Saban away from Bama so who else was there.  A coach coming off 2 conference championships and with strong name recognition was as good as anyone else.  I think Skip is a good coach.  I think longterm he can get it done.

Having said that, he is not immune from criticism.  I expected a 6-6, 7-5 season and it could still happen.  However, in no scenario did I see a loss to Syracuse so he and the other coached better step it up because they need 3 more wins and there are no weak teams left. 

The coach's job is to put the best players and schemes together.  If BJ is on the field then I assume the staff thinks he is the best player at that position to run what the coach wants to do.  If this team does not go bowling (when every mediocre team in America does) then I will consider it a step backwards.  I won't come on here demanding he be fired, but this is big boy football for which he gets paid handsomely so the criticism will flow freely.

Finally, my loyalty is not to Skip Holtz, BJ Daniels or any individual coach or player (although I always hope all current and former Bulls find success), but it is to USF.  Go Bulls!

*Now back to our regularly scheduled complaining.

100% agree.  I certainly would feel better about Holtz if he wouldn't haved talked about possibly losing this game before it was ever played.  I believe he set the wrong tone prior to this game.

[Brad]

sorry

holtz should be given 2 years before you criticize him and 3 years to turn usf into a winner

You might want to define that.  It obviously isn't possible since USF hasn't had a losing season since 2004.

Really.  Sometimes I wonder.

[Orlando Bull]

After what happened with the Coach Leavitt, Coach Holtz was my #1 choice for this job, given the options available.  Meaning we weren't going to hire Saban away from Bama so who else was there.  A coach coming off 2 conference championships and with strong name recognition was as good as anyone else.  I think Skip is a good coach.  I think longterm he can get it done.

Having said that, he is not immune from criticism.  I expected a 6-6, 7-5 season and it could still happen.  However, in no scenario did I see a loss to Syracuse so he and the other coached better step it up because they need 3 more wins and there are no weak teams left. 

The coach's job is to put the best players and schemes together.  If BJ is on the field then I assume the staff thinks he is the best player at that position to run what the coach wants to do.  If this team does not go bowling (when every mediocre team in America does) then I will consider it a step backwards.  I won't come on here demanding he be fired, but this is big boy football for which he gets paid handsomely so the criticism will flow freely.

Finally, my loyalty is not to Skip Holtz, BJ Daniels or any individual coach or player (although I always hope all current and former Bulls find success), but it is to USF.  Go Bulls!

*Now back to our regularly scheduled complaining.

Very good post.

[Southshore26]

sorry

holtz should be given 2 years before you criticize him and 3 years to turn usf into a winner

You might want to define that.  It obviously isn't possible since USF hasn't had a losing season since 2004.

Really.  Sometimes I wonder.

I think he's assuming we're 5-7 this year.

SANJAY... great post. Completely agree....

[Brad]

sorry

holtz should be given 2 years before you criticize him and 3 years to turn usf into a winner

You might want to define that.  It obviously isn't possible since USF hasn't had a losing season since 2004.

Really.  Sometimes I wonder.

I think he's assuming we're 5-7 this year.

I doubt it, but then even so he'd have to turn USF into a loser first.  I guess many are prepared for just that.  It would have been interesting to see had Urban Meyer been replaced if UF fans would accept so easily becoming a loser first than getting back to winning.

This isn't rebuilding, it's actually a situation where normally a staff member would have taken over.  Don't get me wrong.  You can find the post here where I suggest Skip as the replacement.  However, I suggested him with the assumption he could take the program and continue to build.  If the administration recruited Holtz's "system" and not Holtz, they made a big mistake in their HC recruiting and I was wrong.  they didn't need a guy that needed four years of recruiting, they needed a guy that could win with what the previous coach could win with and make it better.

I have no idea what Doug and Judy wanted other than a fresh start and a whole new era (maybe control, some hugs and no HC emotion win or lose), but I stand with the crowd that expects not to start dropping games like Cuse as a step to getting better in 3-5 years.  That to me is **** nutty.

I expect Skip to stabilize and take us to great heights and not so far down the road.  We're not on probation, we're not cellar-dwellers, we have quality wins and consecutive winning seasons and bowl games.  All the positives everyone has said about the talent here (and how it was Leavitt who couldn't win (enough) here with all the talent) should be a hot commodity for a new coach.  Expectations shouldn't be in the toilet.  But like some other I'll have to ride it out and see.

[hm101]

disagree. syracuse isnt the same team it was in years prior. even if it was, the loss is disappointing, but its poor judgement to say holtz has it wrong at this point. let him work.

[Orlando Bull]

disagree. syracuse isnt the same team it was in years prior. even if it was, the loss is disappointing, but its poor judgement to say holtz has it wrong at this point. let him work.

I would expect us to be able to score at least 3 points against the Baltimore Ravens. Is Cuse so improved that they have the best defense in America? They have a very calculated way of leaving receivers open when they know that the QB is going to miss them, or throw into coverage instead?

Cuse is better than before, no doubt about that. We should have won by a minimum of 14 points. In years past, we should have beaten them by more, so, yes, they are better.