TAMPA, Fla. — South Florida fired football coach Jim Leavitt after a school investigation concluded he grabbed one of his players by the throat, slapped him in the face and then lied about it.
A letter hand delivered to the coach and released along with a report on the three-week probe said the university’s findings were based on “independently corroborated statements of persons found to be in the best position to observe your conduct.”
“Coach Leavitt committed a serious violation of our standards of conduct regarding treatment of students,” university president Judy Genshaft said Friday, adding a national search for a replacement will be begin immediately.
Reached by telephone, the only coach in the program’s 13-year history told The Associated Press he was “disappointed” and the allegation was “absolutely false.”
Leavitt told investigators he has never struck a player and that he was trying to lift the spirits of a player who was “down” when he grabbed the player’s shoulder pads during halftime of a game against Louisville on Nov. 21.
But the letter athletic director Doug Woolard presented to Leavitt during a meeting with Genshaft informed the coach “your description of your conduct toward the student athlete in question was consistently uncorroborated by credible witnesses.”
The school also concluded Leavitt interfered with the investigation by having “direct contact with material witnesses … at a time you knew or should have known was critical to the review process.”
Leavitt, who was 95-57, just completed the second season of a seven-year, $12.6 million contract.
“I truly wish there had been another outcome to this situation,” Woolard said during a news conference.
AOL FanHouse first reported the firing. Genshaft and Woolard launched the investigation last month after a FanHouse report said Leavitt had grabbed sophomore Joel Miller and hit him in the face twice during halftime of the Louisville game.
Miller was penalized for an illegal block in the first half, and he also was on the field when Louisville returned a punt for a touchdown.
“I’m very disappointed. The allegations as reported are absolutely false,” Leavitt said Friday. “I’m going to respond in time.”
Citing Miller’s father, high school coach and five USF players who were not identified, FanHouse initially reported Leavitt struck Miller because he was upset about a mistake Miller made on special teams.
Miller’s father later backtracked, telling reporters Leavitt did not strike his son but rather grabbed him by the shoulder pads while trying to motivate the sophomore walk-on.
Neither Genshaft nor Woolard took questions and specifics about Leavitt’s were not discussed during the press conference.
Investigators talked to several players, who were not identified by name and who either witnessed the alleged incident or were told of it by a player referred to in the report as “Student A.”
The report said during an initial interview with investigators that “Student A” tried to play down the incident, saying the coach grabbed his shoulder pads and “didn’t touch me in any malicious way.”
The investigation concluded differently.
In his letter to Leavitt, Woolard said the athlete’s statements after the probe began “are unpersuasive because they were contradicted by the same student athlete in his conversations with credible witnesses made close in time to when that conduct occurred.”
Leavitt was hired in December 1995 and launched USF’s program from scratch, operating out of trailers on campus in the early years while guiding the Bulls’ swift progression from Division I-AA to BCS conference member.
USF joined the Big East in 2005 and has played in a bowl game every year since joining the league. The Bulls were ranked as high as No. 2 in the nation in 2007 before a mid-season conference slide dropped them out of the Top 25.
Similar collapses in conference play followed 5-0 starts each of the past two years. The Bulls finished 8-5 this season.
Leach alleges libel
LUBBOCK, Texas — Fired Texas Tech coach Mike Leach on Friday accused his former bosses of making “slanderous and libelous” statements intended to damage his reputation and hurt him financially.
Court documents filed Friday said statements made by university administrators “were made intentionally” to harm Leach and expose him to financial harm.
Leach was fired Dec. 30, just days before Texas Tech played in the Alamo Bowl, after the family of receiver Adam James said he mistreated the player after he suffered a concussion.
Alabama No. 1 in final AP poll for 7th time
PASADENA, Calif. — It’s unanimous. Alabama is back on top in college football.
The Crimson Tide was voted No. 1 in The Associated Press poll early Friday to earn its seventh AP title after beating Texas 37-21 in the BCS championship game.
Only Notre Dame has more AP national championships, with eight. Oklahoma also has seven.
The Crimson Tide (14-0) hadn’t finished No. 1 since 1992, but in just three seasons under coach Nick Saban, the South’s most storied program has returned to greatness.
Texas (13-1) is No. 2 in the Top 25 and Florida (13-1), last season’s champion, was third. The only other unbeaten team in the nation, Boise State (14-0), wound up fourth. It was the Broncos’ best finish in the AP poll.
Georgia Tech fires DC
ATLANTA — Dave Wommack has been fired as Georgia Tech’s defensive coordinator.
Georgia Tech announced on Friday that Wommack will not return for the 2010 season. Coach Paul Johnson says he and Wommack “both agreed” a change was needed after Georgia Tech ranked 54th in the nation in total defense and 56th in scoring defense.
The Yellow Jackets finished 11-3 and No. 13 but had struggled much of the season on defense.
Arkansas QB staying
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett is staying in college, passing up the NFL for at least one more season leading the Razorbacks’ rejuvenated offense.
Mallett announced his decision Friday. He threw for a school-record 3,624 yards this season, his first with Arkansas after transferring from Michigan and sitting out a year.
Texas safety going pro
AUSTIN, Texas — Texas All-America safety Earl Thomas is leaving school after his sophomore season to enter the NFL draft. Thomas, a Thorpe Award finalist, set a Texas record with eight interceptions this season.
USC losing receiver to NFL
LOS ANGELES — Receiver Damian Williams is the latest to leave the troubled Trojans football program, announcing he’s skipping his senior season to enter the NFL draft. The school still is under several years of NCAA scrutiny for alleged improprieties in the football program. The most recent allegations concern tailback Joe McKnight, who also is entering the NFL draft early, according to the Los Angeles Times.
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