The Wiz of Odds

Holtz Leaving East Carolina for South Florida

Skip Holtz, who led East Carolina to consecutive Conference USA titles, is leaving to become coach at South Florida.

The news was first reported by Brett McMurphy of FanHouse.

Holtz, 45, had been the Pirate coach since 2005, going 38-27 with four bowl appearances.

Holtz told the Daily Reflector he was leaving Greenville for Tampa because of family reasons.

"With my parents living an hour from there, with my wife's parents being in that area and my wife being from that area [Port Charlotte], and looking at the decision I had to make, you don't get many opportunities to be around family," he said.

Holtz was Connecticut's coach from 1994-98, going 38-23, and left to join the staff of his father, Lou, who had been named coach at South Carolina. Lou resigned after the 2004 season and Skip was not among the assistants retained by Steve Spurrier.

Report: South Florida's Leavitt Struck Player

South Florida coach Jim Leavitt grabbed a player by the throat and struck him twice in the face during halftime of the Bulls' Nov. 21 game against Louisville, according to a report by Brett McMurphy of FanHouse.

The player involved in the incident is sophomore walk-on Joel Miller, and his father is a former Tampa police officer.

"You do something like that [on the street], you put them in jail," Paul Miller said. "Somewhere [Leavitt] crossed the line."

McMurphy's report says five other witnesses — South Florida players and staff members — have come forward, all speaking on the condition of anonymity because they feared Leavitt would remove them from scholarship or they might lose their job.

Joel Miller has not come forward. According to David Mitchell, who was Miller's high school coach at Tampa's Wharton High, the player feared retribution and possible dismissal from the team.

South Florida

No team cranks out poster schedules like South Florida. Last season, the Bulls produced five posters. They trimmed it back to three this season, but that still tops our field. Jim Leavitt's squad is one of seven Division I-A teams to play two I-AA opponents. We will have no idea how good South Florida is until its first real game, Sept. 26 at Florida State. Thanks to Carlos!

Hilltoppers Find Their Place in the Sun

Wiz correspondent Greg Laughlin spent Saturday in Bowling Green, Ky., home of the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers, the newest member of Division I-AA. Not every opponent can march into Houchens Industries-L.A. Smith Stadium and come out with a victory, but South Florida accomplished the task with a 35-13 victory. More photos from Bowling Green after the jump. You can view Greg's gallery by clicking here.

Leavitt's Desperate Search for a Defensive Coordinator

South Florida's Jim Leavitt is having trouble finding a defensive coordinator. A lot of trouble.

The job opened in mid-February when Wally Burnham left to become defensive coordinator at Iowa State. The 67-year-old Burnham, who was one of three Bull assistants to leave in a six-day span, said he wanted a new challenge. He certainly has one with the Cyclones, losers of 18 of 27 games.

The first candidate to interview was Joe Tresey, who was fired a week earlier by Cincinnati's Brian Kelly. Tresey reportedly pursued the defensive coordinator's job at Miami, costing him the gig with the Bearcats.

Jim Leavitt Should Not Forget to Take His Medication

South Florida coach Jim Leavitt sarcastically answers a question by Brett McMurphy of the Tampa Tribune on the significance of the Bulls securing a trip to a fourth consecutive bowl game after a 17-13 victory against Connecticut on Saturday.