USF Fans

[ranman]

Good recap Ronde.  They are fun to watch. 
I would add that USF is one head coaching change away from being consistently in top 15-20.  They can recruit and have the luxury of being in Florida to do so.  The one big drawback I have seen the past three years is good talent run amok.  I blame that on coaching. 

[olafberserker]

I would add that USF is one head coaching change away from being consistently in top 15-20. They can recruit and have the luxury of being in Florida to do so. The one big drawback I have seen the past three years is good talent run amok. I blame that on coaching.

Be careful what you wish for.  USF is among the lowest paying schools in the BCS when it comes to their coaches hence the turnover and problems attracting established coaches.  Leavitt has been dedicated to the program and while I don't always agree with decisions or performance replacing him would be harder than you think.

[ranman]

Olaf -
Not wishing for anything.  I am not a Bulls fan but do follow them due to being local and enjoy going to their games.  I wouldn't know hopw their coaching staff rates on the payscale.  I would suggest that if they were to want to improve from being a borderline top 25 program, they should look into hiring of a new coach.  No disrespect to job Leavitt has done building the program but see them needing a different type of motivator to get over the hump.  Just my own outsider opinion.....

[BucsBullsBolts]

Olaf -
Not wishing for anything.  I am not a Bulls fan but do follow them due to being local and enjoy going to their games.  I wouldn't know hopw their coaching staff rates on the payscale.  I would suggest that if they were to want to improve from being a borderline top 25 program, they should look into hiring of a new coach.  No disrespect to job Leavitt has done building the program but see them needing a different type of motivator to get over the hump.  Just my own outsider opinion.....

I think the jury is still out on whether leavitt is definitely the one to take USF to the next step or not. I personally think he's done a tremendous job of getting the Bulls to where they are right now, that being a borderline top 25 program, considering the talent he's been working with all these years. It appears that, MAYBE, USF is starting to make significant inroads when it comes to recruiting the state of Florida and what Leavitt and his staff are able to with the improved talent will be the key. Three more years should be a pretty good sampling of whether he's capable or not ...

[olafberserker]

Olaf -
Not wishing for anything.  I am not a Bulls fan but do follow them due to being local and enjoy going to their games.  I wouldn't know hopw their coaching staff rates on the payscale.  I would suggest that if they were to want to improve from being a borderline top 25 program, they should look into hiring of a new coach.  No disrespect to job Leavitt has done building the program but see them needing a different type of motivator to get over the hump.  Just my own outsider opinion.....

I think the jury is still out on whether leavitt is definitely the one to take USF to the next step or not. I personally think he's done a tremendous job of getting the Bulls to where they are right now, that being a borderline top 25 program, considering the talent he's been working with all these years. It appears that, MAYBE, USF is starting to make significant inroads when it comes to recruiting the state of Florida and what Leavitt and his staff are able to with the improved talent will be the key. Three more years should be a pretty good sampling of whether he's capable or not ...

I'd agree with that, but if they do want to attract a higher caliber coach either at the top or as coordinators or as position coaches, then they will have to increase the pay.   Of course the current economy may end up dictating a change in the current pay scales.

Also, I don't think motivation is a problem with Leavitt.  I'd say it's more about in game decision making and game planning in general.  He seems to get "out coached" at inopportune times.

[duanet75]

I got 20 bucks that says in 2010 USF will piss all over the swamp.
Stop drinking all that hatorade.

I got 20 bucks that says USF will beat UM

YOU'RE ON

[The White Tiger]

Olaf -
Not wishing for anything.  I am not a Bulls fan but do follow them due to being local and enjoy going to their games.  I wouldn't know hopw their coaching staff rates on the payscale.  I would suggest that if they were to want to improve from being a borderline top 25 program, they should look into hiring of a new coach.  No disrespect to job Leavitt has done building the program but see them needing a different type of motivator to get over the hump.  Just my own outsider opinion.....

I think the jury is still out on whether leavitt is definitely the one to take USF to the next step or not. I personally think he's done a tremendous job of getting the Bulls to where they are right now, that being a borderline top 25 program, considering the talent he's been working with all these years. It appears that, MAYBE, USF is starting to make significant inroads when it comes to recruiting the state of Florida and what Leavitt and his staff are able to with the improved talent will be the key. Three more years should be a pretty good sampling of whether he's capable or not ...

I'd agree with that, but if they do want to attract a higher caliber coach either at the top or as coordinators or as position coaches, then they will have to increase the pay.   Of course the current economy may end up dictating a change in the current pay scales.

Also, I don't think motivation is a problem with Leavitt.  I'd say it's more about in game decision making and game planning in general.  He seems to get "out coached" at inopportune times.

I'm a late convert to Big East football - I think Leavitt put USF on the map with only a little bit of talent. The sudden lightness in production from the defense probably should have been expected, Leavitt got as much from the relationship with USF as the university has gotten from him. I was a little dismayed with his discipline the past couple of years - but it's easier to control recruits that don't have a lot of options than it is to control kids that can go anywhere. He's done some good things and has proven to be a good recruiter, the program is on par with FSU and Miami right now - I don't think that USF has come up as much as those universities have fallen - so he's getting the kids who don't get recruited by Florida...or want to stay closer to home...

No coach is going to have more success than Leavitt at USF right now...he's getting better recruits - but they have less discipline. It's going to be a balancing act.

I think this will be a telling year. It's not so much that Leavitt isn't living up to expectations so much as it is that some of the other Big East programs, previously dormant, are really gaining ground...teams like Louisville, Rutgers, Connecticut, and Cincinnati - to go along with the usually strong West Virginia, and Pittsburgh programs...a lot of competition for those Florida high school recruits...

[LFO]

I got 20 bucks that says in 2010 USF will piss all over the swamp.
Stop drinking all that hatorade.

I got 20 bucks that says USF will beat UM

YOU'RE ON

I'll take both bets.

Let me know when you want to send me my $40.

[BucsBullsBolts]

No coach is going to have more success than Leavitt at USF right now...he's getting better recruits - but they have less discipline. It's going to be a balancing act.

I'm not sure I get what you mean by the better recruits having "less discipline" .... This is the first year they've really gotten those better recruits, as a whole, and I'm not sure how you can quantify that they've got less discipline .... less discipline than who?

[The White Tiger]

As I see USF - after following other conferences - I have seen a clear lack of discipline lately.

[LFO]

USF will have to up their budget for coaches if they truly want to take that next step...I think they fired their OC for interviewing for a TE coach job at UF.  If they are going to lose coaches to "lesser" jobs like that, they are in trouble.  By lesser I obviously mean title...if the TE coach job at UF pays more or is more of a stepping stone than the OC at USF, that is not good nor is that going to make USF an elite program.

[BucsBullsBolts]

As I see USF - after following other conferences - I have seen a clear lack of discipline lately.

The better recruits haven't played a game yet, or gotten into any trouble off the field that I know of, so I'm not sure what "clear lack of discipline" you are refering to ....

[BucsBullsBolts]

USF will have to up their budget for coaches if they truly want to take that next step...I think they fired their OC for interviewing for a TE coach job at UF.  If they are going to lose coaches to "lesser" jobs like that, they are in trouble.  By lesser I obviously mean title...if the TE coach job at UF pays more or is more of a stepping stone than the OC at USF, that is not good nor is that going to make USF an elite program.

Technically, he wasn't fired but demoted after looking into the UF TE job and later left to be the OC at South Alabama ... and his demotion, or outright dismissal, was thought to be imminent even before the UF thing came up, anyway .... but $$$ is definitely where USF has a lot of catching up to do with the "elite" college football programs.

[LFO]

USF will have to up their budget for coaches if they truly want to take that next step...I think they fired their OC for interviewing for a TE coach job at UF.� If they are going to lose coaches to "lesser" jobs like that, they are in trouble.� By lesser I obviously mean title...if the TE coach job at UF pays more or is more of a stepping stone than the OC at USF, that is not good nor is that going to make USF an elite program.

Either way, you see the fundamental problem when your OC is looking into TE jobs at other schools....that is obviously not a better spot...but the $$$$ is obviously different.  If UF is going to pay its TE coach way more $$$ than USF is going to an OC, that is an issue. 
Technically, he wasn't fired but demoted after looking into the UF TE job and later left to be the OC at South Alabama ... and his demotion, or outright dismissal, was thought to be imminent even before the UF thing came up, anyway .... but $$$ is definitely where USF has a lot of catching up to do with the "elite" college football programs.

[The White Tiger]

It's not the off-field discipline I'm referring...

http://www.tboblogs.com/index.php/sports/comments/what-has-gone-wrong-for-usf/

"...Each USF loss seems like the last one. A never-ending Groundhog Day: offense sputters, defense gives up a big play or three, undisciplined play, erratic special teams and poor clock management (has USF ever entered the final two minutes with all three time outs?).

Even Leavitt's patented halftime motivational tactics appear to be getting stale. Some players admitted the constant head-butting is nothing new...."