Jim Leavitt will not be recognized, attend USF Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony
TAMPA, Fla. - Former Coach Jim Leavitt, the first football coach in the University of South Florida's history, will not attend or be recognized during the induction ceremony on October 2, according to USF CEO of Athletics Rob Higgins.
Higgins released a statement on Friday, saying that after "candid and productive conversations the last two days, we have mutually agreed that he will not attend and/or be recognized" at the induction ceremony.
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What they're saying:
In his statement, Higgins said, "USF acknowledges and appreciates the impact Coach Leavitt had on building USF Football and Coach Leavitt understands the importance of being able to honor this year's inductees without distraction."
The backstory:
Leavitt made headlines in August when he was arrested in Clearwater on a domestic violence charge after an argument with an ex-girlfriend, but prosecutors dropped the charges, saying the facts didn't warrant prosecution.
In 2009, the university fired Leavitt after an investigation determined he struck a player in the locker room and that he had interfered with the investigation. Leavitt denied the accusation.
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Dig deeper:
While Leavitt will not be honored during the Hall of Fame ceremony, he is still listed on the university's athletic website as an inductee into the 2025 Hall of Fame.
According to Leavitt's Hall of Fame biography on GOUSFBULLS.com, Leavitt was hired in 1996 "to lead the USF program into existence," and "guided USF football from a practice-only season to its debut in 1997," eventually leading to an invitation for USF to "compete in the Big East in 2005."
Along the way, Leavitt's teams defeated three top 10 ranked opponents, and the Bulls "became the fastest program to go from inception to a top five national ranking," achieving No. 2 in the AP poll during week 7 of the 2007 season.