IMO this is a good move for him, besides the fact that he's close to his Mom and Dad's home in Orlando. Each move in his head coaching career has been a rung on the ladder and not a huge leap. He now is at a BCS conference program, he has a good recruiting base, and if he does well over the next 3, 5, 7 years, he will be a solid candidate for a higher level program. Holtz to South Florida
It's a slight move up for him. The biggest thing is that USF is in the Big East and if he wins the Big East he can play in a BCS bowl and maybe even contend for the Nat'l Championship. It was only a couple of years ago when USF started the season upsetting Auburn and ran out to 6-0 and #2 in the country before they lost a game. He'd have a hard time doing that at ECU. Terry
I think it is a good move for him. USF has the potential to win fairly consistently in the Big East. The team in the Big East that amazes me is U Conn., just how they became a winning program so fast still is amazing to me.
ECU AD Terry Holland is now disputing that Holtz has been hired. He said he has talked to Skip and that Skip has not been offered a contract yet but they are talking about the job. He said that Skip told him that both USF and he have agreed on a deadline of tomorrow afternoon to get it done or not.
Bill, Which program is better positioned to do well in sports, USF or UCF? I know UCF has a new on campus stadium, because Texas played them in the offical opening game 2 years ago. Where does USF play it's game? Are both campuses nice and traditional? Are they mostly commuter schools with older students not so much ineterested in sports or do they have a more traditional student body?
I wonder if the ECU AD is the same Terry Holland that once was the head basketball coach at Virginia.
USF Terry. They are in the Big East which has the auto bid to the Orange Bowl and it placed 2 teams in BCS Bowls this past season. I hear they have new facilities and they play at the Ray Jay......which is a great stadium to see a football game. Da Bulls have the groundwork in place that could make them a BCS contender and I think his failure to get over the midesason hump is what really did Leavitt in.
This could be a dangerous hire. A guy who has an appreciation for defense and isn't a total dumbf***... In the Big East, he could make real waves.
Terry, sorry I didn't answer earlier. I think USF is better positioned at this time, because they are in the Big East, and doing their best to keep UCF out of the same conference. USF plays in Raymond James Stadium I believe. I am pulling for UCF to pull even or ahead of them but unless they can upgrade conferences it isn't likely to happen. I agree with Corey, I think USF is a sleeping giant in the Big East.