How Schiano Ruined Leavitt’s Shot With Bucs
January 30th, 2012
If South Florida's Jim Leavitt had a better record against Greg Schiano, would Joel Glazer have shook someone else's hand Friday?
Now this is interesting.
When new Bucs coach Greg Schiano was with Rutgers, he pretty much owned South Florida when Jim Leavitt stomped up and down the sidelines.
It seemed, per Alan Dell of the Bradenton Herald, that whenever USF seemed to be inching toward entrance into the nation’s elite programs, Schiano was always there to put Leavitt and the Bulls in their place.
If not for Schiano, Dell wonders in words whether a different guy would have been introduced to the Bucs press corps as the ninth coach in franchise history, Leavitt.
Schiano went on to become Leavitt’s personal nightmare. He beat him four times in five games and more than any other coach figured out how to slow down quarterback Matt Grothe, USF’s career total offensive leader.
You could see that cockiness in Schiano. His success seemed to destroy a part of Leavitt, sending him into a surly funk.
Now Leavitt is an assistant coach with the San Francisco 49ers, and you can’t help but wonder whether he would’ve been the guy introduced as the Bucs’ new coach if he fared better against Schiano.
So Dell seems to be implying that had not Schiano drubbed Leavitt virtually each year, had USF won a few of those matchups, Leavitt wouldn’t have gone all MMA on a player and would have become the head coach to succeed Raheem Morris?
Very interesting. Well, at least Joe is content with Schiano and Joe believes Leavitt, unless he has a serious personality change, would melt down in the NFL. It’s one thing to constantly browbeat one reporter, Brett McMurphy, on a daily basis. That wouldn’t last very long with NFL scribes.
January 30th, 2012 at 11:23 am
I’m concerned we’re going to bring in too many college coaches for assistants and not mix in enough NFL experience. That is not good. That is like stripping a team of all it’s veterans and going completely young. Hmm, where has that happen before…can’t put my finger on it?
January 30th, 2012 at 11:39 am
I’m sorry but this article is ridiculous. Leavitt and the Bulls lost games to better teams. Period. I’m a Bulls fan and I like Leavitt, but I also don’t believe the blame should be placed on someone else.
Just like Morris, in the end, failed this team…so did Leavitt fail the Bulls. However, to this day I don’t believe Leavitt should have been fired.
Personally, I think Leavitt can be good in the NFL, Joe…but he’s not the type of guy to give a great position to right away. He needs to work his way up in the ranks and learn as he goes.
January 30th, 2012 at 11:43 am
Under this theory we should have hired the coach from West Virginia, who schooled Schiano.
Or the guy from Uconn who spanked Rutgers with the Big East on the line this last year.
January 30th, 2012 at 11:54 am
Mr. Dell’s speculation is laughable.
January 30th, 2012 at 12:08 pm
Leavitt would never have made it in the NFL. He would have choked.
January 30th, 2012 at 12:08 pm
WOW now that’s speculation! Leavitt will never be a head coach in the NFL. His style is just way too abrasive. The players would tune him out within an hour of the first practice.
January 30th, 2012 at 12:12 pm
Jim Leavitt prevented Jim Leavitt from directly to a HC posn in the NFL, and of course Judy Genschaft….
January 30th, 2012 at 12:16 pm
I am ready to start winning again.
Leave Leavitt in San Fran, hire Butch Davis, hire Hue Jackson.
draft Richardson
Add FA:
LB, CB, WR,LG
Winning will occur, so much that Charlie Sheen will get season tickets.
January 30th, 2012 at 12:20 pm
I realize this isn’t related to the article, but on ESPN rumors it says, “The search continues for an answer at OC, and some believe the team could look to poach Frank Cignetti, Rutgers’ current OC, for the post.”
I mentioned before bringing too many college coaches up to fill your staff is a bad, no horrendious, idea. It if happens it leaves our coaching staff with virtually no NFL experience. That has disaster written all over it.
January 30th, 2012 at 12:24 pm
Bring in Hue Jackson and Butch Davis!
Make it happen Poop Star!
January 30th, 2012 at 12:24 pm
Actually in the past head coaching in the Big East was not considered the Springboard for an NFL gig.
Leavit’s chances have always been sorta slim for that promotion.
Perhaps Skip Holtz though.
January 30th, 2012 at 12:34 pm
I don’t mind college level guys at the position coach level, with that said, we must hire NFL experienced coordinators, coordinators coordinate, position coaches teach…we need teaching being done at the position level, there needs to be teaching in each and every room at One Buc.
January 30th, 2012 at 12:59 pm
flmike, agree. Position coaches teach. OC and DC game plan and implement systems – I think this must be people with some experience.
I’m all in with Schiano, but this isn’t Rutgers anymore.
January 30th, 2012 at 1:00 pm
*some NFL experience ^^
January 30th, 2012 at 1:15 pm
Let’s hire some coordinators already!!!!
What are we doing about this?
January 30th, 2012 at 1:20 pm
It really doesn’t excite me at all that Cristobal and Cignetti are among our OC candidates. What a f’kn joke…..the Florida International coach? Didn’t even make a bowl until a year ago! No NFL experience on him.
Surround Freeman with coaches that have NFL EXPERIENCE! Get him an OC that isn’t a big question mark!
January 30th, 2012 at 1:56 pm
My God…aren’t you the same clowns that had Dom and the Glazers hiring Mike Sherman and going all postal for weeks?? Calm down kiddies. No one’s been hired yet so don’t get all frantic speculating. Geez…If they wanted to hire all college coaches they’d already be hired.
January 30th, 2012 at 3:23 pm
Dell writes for my hometown paper in Bradenton. The analysis in all his columns are about as deep as puddle.