Jim Leavitt’s lawsuit seeks to recover part of the $9.5 million on his USF contract

Still, for the first time, USF is Jim Leavitt’s opponent, with harsh language in a 53-page lawsuit filed Monday in Hillsborough Circuit Court. In the suit, attorney Wil Florin argues that Leavitt’s termination was illegal and that the investigation that led to his dismissal was “biased, flawed and legally unsupportable.” “The USF report is a rambling collection of hearsay/double hearsay statements and non-contextual quotes that, in essence, is a subjective, picked-over, blatantly biased summary by USF,” he writes in the lawsuit. It argues that USF “materially misrepresented statements” from witnesses and chose not to interview others known to be in the locker room at halftime of USF’s Nov. 21 game against Louisville, when Leavitt allegedly grabbed walk-on Joel Miller by the throat and slapped him twice. Leavitt has denied those accusations from the start, and the lawsuit seeks to recover some part of the $9.5 million left on his seven-year contract, along with attorney’s fees. The lawsuit also takes issue with USF not releasing the entirety of its investigation as a public record, as the school has declined to do after requests from Leavitt’s attorneys. “In refusing disclosure, USF is either hiding evidence favorable to coach Leavitt or has destroyed that evidence to avoid being confronted with it,” Florin wrote in a release issued to the media. Leavitt remained adamant he has done nothing wrong. “I wouldn’t have done anything different,” he said Monday, though the team he coached for 14 years will open spring practice today without him, starting a new era under coach Skip Holtz. And USF officials remain just as confident that they made a correct move in firing the only football coach they’d had. “We stand by our decision,” USF spokesman Michael Hoad said. “The report speaks for itself.” – St. Petersburg Times

Lou Holtz a fraud? You decide.

By Peter Tannenbaum - Special to Football Rumor Mill

It’s interesting to see Lou Holtz out taking credit for his son Skip’s success. He plays the role of proud papa on ESPN and gives interview after interview.

Before the Skipper landed at USF, he told the Orlando Sentinel, “It would be great. We’d have the whole I-4 corridor covered,” said Holtz who lives in Orlando and whose son Kevin is a public defender in Daytona Beach. “I think Skip feels the same way I do.”

How do you think Skip really feels? The younger Holtz has been outstanding in two of his last three jobs. He won at Connecticut as a head coach. He won big at East Carolina.

Does anyone remember where he was a miserable failure? Let us refresh your memory. The elder Holtz demoted his son as offensive coordinator at South Carolina. He caved to the pressure. What did Skip do? He kept his mouth shut and eventually landed the head job at East Carolina – no thanks to Daddy Holtz.

It’s also interesting to note that the younger Holtz has yet to land a program on probation. His record was clean at both UConn and at East Carolina. What about Daddy? Well, that’s another story.

Much has been made of Lou Holtz leading six different programs to bowl games. Not as much, however, is made of him leaving four programs on probation.

Holtz was dismissed at Arkansas following a 6–5 campaign in 1983. What most forget is that he was shown the door due to looming NCAA sanctions and a commercial he did for right wing Senator Jesse Helms, who was leading the charge against the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.

Next up was Minnesota. Holtz left for Notre Dame after only two seasons but, the NCAA placed Minnesota on two years probation for 17 rule violations, two of which were committed by Holtz during his tenure.

The trend continued at Notre Dame. Following an investigation in 1999, the NCAA placed Notre Dame on two years probation for extra benefits provided by a representative of the university to football players and one incident of academic fraud. The NCAA found that Holtz and members of his staff learned of the violations but failed to make appropriate inquiry or to take prompt action, finding Holtz’s efforts “inadequate.”

After unceremoniously demoting his son at South Carolina, it seems Holtz had his mind on things other than NCAA rules. The NCAA imposed three years probation and reductions in two scholarships on South Carolina for ten admitted violations under Holtz, five of which were found to be major. The violations involved improper tutoring and off-season workouts (including supervised practices in summer), as well as a lack of institutional control.

So, there you have it… the real Lou Holtz.

BREAKING NEWS: South Florida Hires Skip Holtz

Sources close to Skip Holtz tell FootballRumorMill.com that Skip Holtz has accepted the head coaching job at South Florida. Holtz replaced the deposed Jim Leavitt. More to come…

USF interviews Doug Williams; Skip Holtz still top candidate

Nearly a week after firing Jim Leavitt, the University of South Florida’s search for the second head football coach in school history remains a source of great speculation. East Carolina’s Skip Holtz is considered the leading candidate, but Holtz returned home to Greenville, N.C., Tuesday night after talking with USF officials about the opening during his visit to the American Football Coaches Association convention in Orlando. Holtz was in his office Wednesday going about his normal routine amid speculation he was the front-runner. Meantime, former Bucs quarterback Doug Williams, currently Tampa Bay’s pro personnel director and a successful head coach at Grambling State from 1998 to 2003, interviewed Tuesday in Orlando. Williams declined to comment on his interview Wednesday. Williams is a former teammate of Lee Roy Selmon, one of USF’s three-member search committee along with USF athletic director Doug Woolard and executive associate athletic director Bill McGillis. – Tampa Tribune

USF deal with Skip Holtz could be finalized today

The University of South Florida’s search for its next head football coach could end today if a deal with East Carolina’s Skip Holtz can be finalized. Holtz was contacted by USF athletic director Doug Woolard about the job Sunday and interviewed with USF officials Tuesday in Orlando. A source close to East Carolina told the Fayetteville (N.C.) Observer on Wednesday night that a deal between Holtz and USF was close but not done yet. “But they’re moving in that direction,” the source said. As of this morning, Holtz had not met with his East Carolina players about his future. Holtz is the son of former Notre Dame coach Lou Holtz. In five seasons at East Carolina, Holtz has a 38-27 record and has led the Pirates to back-to-back Conference USA titles. – Tampa Tribune

Report: USF Fires Jim Leavitt

University of South Florida football coach Jim Leavitt’s tenure with the program is over, FanHouse has learned. The only coach the Bulls have had in the program’s 13-year history leaves after an investigation that was initiated following a FanHouse report that stated Leavitt grabbed sophomore Joel Miller by the throat and hit the walk-on twice in the face Nov. 21 at halftime of the Louisville game. Leavitt was told he was not returning Friday morning in a meeting with USF president Judy Genshaft. Findings of the investigation into allegations will be released later today. – Fan House