12/21/24
January 08, 2010
USF has fired Jim Leavitt: The final chapter of a story that had many twists and turns, and about which there may not yet be a full accounting.
posted by beaverboard to football at 11:36 AM - 7 comments
Perhaps the building only housed the football team offices/facilities.
posted by holden at 11:50 AM on January 08, 2010
This saga is made more tricky to reconcile by insinuations that the author of the linked entry above (who has also been one of the main sources of info on this story) is a former Tampa Tribune reporter who may or may not be a model of balance, fairness and impartiality in regard to Leavitt and USF.
If there are personal or hidden agendas in the background of all this, there will likely be attorneys in the foreground before long.
We may need to set up a special Sports Court just for funky terminations.
First up: Leach. Leavitt on deck. Followed by the Kansas Shrek.
posted by beaverboard at 11:59 AM on January 08, 2010
What's the point of shooting the messenger? Brett McMurphy's initial story of player abuse appears to be corroborated by the university firing Leavitt after its own investigation.
posted by rcade at 12:07 PM on January 08, 2010
But, isn't McMurphy's original story 100% based upon the claims of the player? Plenty of other people inserted between, but their input is all linked to hearing about it from the same player. Now, that player is recanting nearly all of his original statement?
I'm not defending Leavitt, but this doesn't smell entirely right. It wreaks of a player who got scolded ... embellished when relaying the story to daddy, old coach and buddies (without thinking about consequences) ... and is now back-tracking when he realizes that he's gotten his coach (who deep down, he really does like) into a heap o' trouble.
Then again, you would hope USF has something to base the firing on. Regardless, IMHO, this isn't as closed a case as you seem to feel, rcade (but I also know you're closer to the situation, geographically if nothing else).
posted by littleLebowski at 03:30 PM on January 08, 2010
I'm not that close to it. I've just followed USF football since the beginning because I am amazed they built a program from non-existence to the Big East in a little over a decade.
Today's Tampa Tribune states that the university talked to two players other than Joel Miller who corroborated him being assaulted, including one who told them "he knew he had witnessed a crime."
Though Miller backed off his initial claims to McMurphy and four other players and Leavitt said no assault occurred, the university claims there were inconsistencies in what Leavitt and Miller told them.
Miller's teammate Colby Erskin says he was told by Miller that Leavitt struck him.
That last link states that Leavitt emptied out Erskin's locker and threw away all of his personal belongings, including his International Bowl jersey, because he believed the player was talking to the press.
David Mitchell, Miller's high school coach, says he also was told what happened by Miller.
I think the most likely scenario is that Leavitt struck Miller, Miller backed off the story when it became such a big deal and some players were pressured to lie for Leavitt.
I've tried to get a story from players and parents about a locker room incident, so I know there's a lot of backstage drama and it's tough to separate fact from fiction. But here, you've got an athlete, a parent, the school and the assaulted player all going on the record -- though the player later recanted. That's a lot if this is just an embellishment.
posted by rcade at 03:53 PM on January 08, 2010
Coaches need to figure it out. If you're going to be the bad-ass, tough-guy head coach these days, it's going to get reported and the school involved is going to have a perfect opportunity to get out of any big contract. Like it or not, that's the way it's going to be. Leach and Leavitt will be the examples. Don't expect the courts to back up the individuals based on any of the alleged abuse charges, especially if there's a long lineup of student-athlete witnesses. The one student reportedly saying, "When Leavitt is doing his thing, I stay away," that seems to imply there may be other incidents investigators can dig up if the need arises.
posted by dyams at 05:41 PM on January 08, 2010
Wow! What a strange time for college football in Florida. Bowden out, Meyer uncertain, Leavitt fired. Randy Shannon and George O'Leary, watch your back.
When Miller initially went to talk to Leavitt after the incident, the head coach allegedly told him, "Before you say anything, just know I am the most powerful man in the building."
Guess not.