Is the Perception of USF Becoming a "Coaching Graveyard?"

[Orlando Bull]

Leavitt was NOT given enough money to hire great assistants. There is a big difference ($$) in USF's commitment to Jim vs Skip.

With Leavitt, USF expected it naturally. With Skip, we were willing to pay and we're being robbed.

Maybe not as much money as Skip, but this is a bit of revisionist history. Jim liked to hire "his" guys, not necessarily the most talented coordinators. Holtz has the same issue, and maybe this is just something endemic in coaching. Jim was a bit too loyal to coordinators that didn't show a penchant for adapting their gameplans. I loved what Jim did at USF, but I think his inability to adapt his gameplans in Big East play was more of his downfall, than the lack of money to hire coordinators.

Actually at the end Leavitt was hiring guys he was less familiar with, in McGeoghan, Tresey and Blackwell (LB). His bigger issue was he was relentless about USF football, he drove his assistants the same way and a lot of coaches figured if they had to work like that there were other places to do that and get paid better. It's a relatively small community so guys like to hire those who they are familiar with, or who someone can vouch for but the flip side is that guys know who is tough to work for or with.

BTW, that is not a criticism of Leavitt because absent that personality our program would have run differently (probably not better) during his tenure.

McGeoghan was the best of those hires too, Sanjay. I recall that he had to hire Tresey because Burnham, rather unexpectedly, took the D coordinator position at ISU. I can't seem to recall who Blackwell replaced on Jim's staff.

I think that they interviewed several when they hired Tresey. I seem to recall the guy from Illinois being in the running. In the end, Tresey knew the BE and had done a pretty good job at Cincy. He was let go because his scheme was different from what BK wanted to run.

And yes, Leavitt would have had better assistants with more money. You're crazy if you think otherwise. As it stands, KP is absolutely our best coach/recruiter and he's still getting paid like the old days while Skip's guys are rolling in all the new money that was handed to Skippy to distribute.

McGeoghan seems to be doing well coaching the phins no-name receivers. Yes, that was a great hire by Leavitt for pennies, because that's all he had.

[Ghost]

2/10 trolling

[TrujilloBull2013]

it was all off field.

guarantee if nothing happened he would have at least coached out his deal.

agreed. they wouldn't have dumped him without cause... although there were certainly people (myself included) who believed Leavitt had reached his plateau and had proven to be uncompetitive in BE play. some of those people jumped on the lockerroom incident as a convenient way to move on, but had it not happened Leavitt would have finished out his contract.

that is a completely separate issue from the hiring of Skip Holtz, which was a HORRIBLE hiring decision made, as someone already noted, under extenuating circumstances. and i have a feeling Skippy was appealing IN PART because his Downy-soft personality is polar opposite of what CJL was.

and i think THAT is where the huge mistake was made: u don't hire someone because they are unlike the person they're replacing. u hire someone because they are right for the job.

CJL was a decent ball coach. he built this program from trailers and walk-ons. he got A LOT out of low-ranked, underrecruited players, especially defensive players, than lesser coaches (Skippy, that means u!) probably would have gotten out of them... but his authoritarian management style was his proverbial "fatal flaw" and when it manifested itself as it did it could no longer be overlooked.

hopefully Woolard learns from his mistake the next time around. if i were him i'd already be sending out my feelers to find the right man to replace Skip and win us a conference championship.

[SANJAY]

Actually at the end Leavitt was hiring guys he was less familiar with, in McGeoghan, Tresey and Blackwell (LB). His bigger issue was he was relentless about USF football, he drove his assistants the same way and a lot of coaches figured if they had to work like that there were other places to do that and get paid better. It's a relatively small community so guys like to hire those who they are familiar with, or who someone can vouch for but the flip side is that guys know who is tough to work for or with.

BTW, that is not a criticism of Leavitt because absent that personality our program would have run differently (probably not better) during his tenure.

McGeoghan was the best of those hires too, Sanjay. I recall that he had to hire Tresey because Burnham, rather unexpectedly, took the D coordinator position at ISU. I can't seem to recall who Blackwell replaced on Jim's staff.

Mcgeoghan turned out to be a great hire. Coming out of the naval prep observatory or something like that to a BCS school and ultimately to the dolphins.

Burnham ended up at ISU because it was an opportunity for him to coach on the same staff as his son Shane who is the DTackle coach there and give him a push on his career. Shane was at Elon before. Rumor is that had Leavitt brought Shane onto staff that Wally would have stayed but leavitt could not or would not (pat burnham was and is still part of the football staff) Wally would have stayed. who knows other than the parties involved.

As for coaching linebackers, Wally was the LB coach already. Tresey was the DC and co-coached the secondary with Troy douglas.

[Orlando Bull]

Was it Douglas who nicknamed Raymond Sweetbay? And later found himself looking for a job and watching Skinny on Sundays?

I'm thinking that was someone else, Douglas doesn't sound right there...

[SANJAY]

Was it Douglas who nicknamed Raymond Sweetbay? And later found himself looking for a job and watching Skinny on Sundays?

I'm thinking that was someone else, Douglas doesn't sound right there...

Yes it was. Douglas swore later that it was not an insul to Raymond but only that USF would have been so far ahead because where Raymond was on the depth chart.

[Plantation Pete]

OP, your straws are slippery.

Everything about him is slippery...

What have I said that is untrue?

[Gismo]

No.