University of South Florida coach Jim Leavitt grabbed a player by the throat then struck him twice in the face during halftime of the Bulls' Nov. 21 game with Louisville, the player's father, his high school coach and five members of USF's football program told FanHouse.

 

The incident involved sophomore walk-on Joel Miller that stemmed from Leavitt being upset over Miller's first-half mistake on special teams, according to witnesses. Leavitt, who was out of town Monday recruiting, would not comment specifically about the incident when reached on his cell phone.

 

"I'll visit with you about recruiting," Leavitt said. "All the stuff we do in there [the locker room] ... I'll visit with you about recruiting.

 

http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/12/14/sources-south-floridas-leavitt-struck-player/

Oh no. Looks like USF may be taking applications soon.

 

 

 

I like how they linked Levitt and Mangino in this article. I guess trying to prove a point

If found to be true he needs to not only be fired immediately, but banned from coaching in the college ranks IMO.

I want Leavitt to stay forever...if he leaves and they bring in a monster name (thankfully the Cards got Strong already)...they could become awesome...that University is sitting on a landmine.

He's gotta go if he did that.

I want Leavitt to stay forever...if he leaves and they bring in a monster name (thankfully the Cards got Strong already)...they could become awesome...that University is sitting on a landmine.

 

I don't know who they will go after, but if I were a USF fan I would strongly consider Chris Petersen. That man can coach, and he wins with less talent. Which is what USF needs in terms of competing with UF, the U and FSU for instate bragging rights.

 

Petersen might not even get mentioned, but I cannot imagine anyone being a better fit. You guys know how I am about the Big East, but I think USF could become a National Power with the right coach.

Dump him and get Jon Gruden...

^^Would be an amazing hire as well. I wonder how much USF would pay a coach?

Brett McMurphy. I should have known. :irked: Brett's last fabricated story got all reporters ban from training camp and cost him his job at the Tampa Tribune. He's been out to get USF and Leavitt any way he can ever since. He is famous for not naming his witnesses and sources and making something out of nothing. I doubt he even talked to the father.

 

In fact....

 

“I’m just very disappointed in what was written,” Leavitt told the Tampa Tribune. “It’s untrue. It’s false. I want to get the truth out there. …The only damage I did in there was when I head-butted and cut my face.”

 

An online report published this afternoon by AOL FanHouse cited Joel Miller’s father, Paul Miller, and five unnamed sources within the USF program.

 

Paul Miller also refuted the report late Monday.

 

“I’ve known Coach Leavitt for 15 years,” Paul Miller told the Tampa Tribune. “He’s just not that kid of guy. I know at times he gets a little excited, but not to that point.”

 

http://www.tboblogs.com/index.php/sports/related/C127/

 

Leavitt has head butted players several times. The players have their helmets on when he does it, and they get all fired up.

Typical McMurphy.

 

Turns out that the comments Paul Miller made were in response to a hypothetical question posed by Brett. It's not the first time McMurphy has twisted something to fabricate a story.

 

The so-called "Racial Slurs at USF" story got him canned from the Trib when it was found that the slurs were a player, Ryan Giddens, talking to himself, motivating himself during line drills. Brett made it sound like there were racial problems on the team and the coaches were condoning it.

 

McMurphy's last Pulitzer piece, this time aiming at the Bulls' basketball program, was about a player getting preferential treatment on campus, when at the time of all this treatment, he was at home with his parents. This came from one of Brett's "inside sources" who he never named and who never came forward.

 

Because of Brett McMurphy, I consider FanHouse a trash website and a major waste of good bandwidth. The sad part is Brett will keep throwing crap at the wall.

I thought that sounded a little over the top...losing control and making an initial move, like grabbing the throat in this instance, is believable, but to then proceed and hit a guy twice in the face.

 

I just can't imagine any coach doing that this day and age. I'm not saying I find it impossible, but it does seem unlikely.

But when there is smoke, there is a smoker. Lets wait and see.

But when there is smoke, there is a smoker. Lets wait and see.

 

From what Swamprat reported, I'm not sure that applies in this case. But, you never know. It certainly doesn't help the credibility of the story when the star witness, the players father, issues a statement denying the comment. :idunno: Somebody got to him? :sssh:

 

End of story, IMO. Unless you want to discuss the "journalist" who initially "reported" it.

The South Florida investigation into allegations of player abuse by coach Jim Leavitt is now stretching into its fourth week. Meanwhile, another player has come forward to back the original accusation by walk-on Joel Miller.

 

Receiver Colby Erskin tells Fanhouse's Brett McMurphy -- who broke the original story -- that Miller had told him Leavitt grabbed and slapped Miller at halftime of the Louisville game. However, Erskin was not in the locker room at the time.

 

Erskin's father said he decided to speak out "when he learned Leavitt cleaned out his son's locker Monday and threw the contents, including Colby's personal items and International Bowl jersey, into a trash bin. Equipment manager Jeremy Lees told Colby Erskin that Leavitt had personally removed everything. Colby said he found his belongings in a trash bin in USF's football equipment room."

 

http://espn.go.com/blog/bigeast/post/_/id/6929/another-player-speaks-out-about-leavitt

The South Florida investigation into allegations of player abuse by coach Jim Leavitt is now stretching into its fourth week. Meanwhile, another player has come forward to back the original accusation by walk-on Joel Miller.

 

Receiver Colby Erskin tells Fanhouse's Brett McMurphy -- who broke the original story -- that Miller had told him Leavitt grabbed and slapped Miller at halftime of the Louisville game. However, Erskin was not in the locker room at the time.

 

Erskin's father said he decided to speak out "when he learned Leavitt cleaned out his son's locker Monday and threw the contents, including Colby's personal items and International Bowl jersey, into a trash bin. Equipment manager Jeremy Lees told Colby Erskin that Leavitt had personally removed everything. Colby said he found his belongings in a trash bin in USF's football equipment room."

 

http://espn.go.com/blog/bigeast/post/_/id/6929/another-player-speaks-out-about-leavitt

 

:popcorn: