Leavitt: Read My Lips

Posted Feb 10, 2009 by Tom McEwen

Updated Feb 11, 2009 at 07:07 PM

When riled on the football sidelines with his University of South Florida Bulls, Jim Leavitt can demonstrate his ire with the same fervor of Tampa’s former big league baseball manager, Lou Piniella. And he can rant and rave and make his lips as easy to read as did President George Bush on the issue of taxes when he makes pointed recommendations to officials on the field. Piniella can toss a first base about as far as any as anyone, about as far as Leavitt can throw a headset.

“I know. I know,’’ said Leavitt Tuesday at lunch at Palma Ceia Golf Club. “But, you know me and all should. It is temporary.”

Then he smiled big, squenching up his face as he does when making a point. Lou would respond in the same way. They are both solid at what they do, including providing the sideline demonstrations his players and fans love to see as support.

  Both are fine at what they do—Lou managing the Chicago Cubs into the thick of things last year and Leavitt coaching the South Florida Bulls onto the national stage, with a recruiting season done to satisfaction, and spring work just ahead.

  And so, just where are the Bulls under Leavitt after these 14 years?

“Close,” said Leavitt. “Close. And, about where we should be. We’re in a fine, balanced conference (The Big East), we have a good squad returning, new good guys coming up and now more recruited—over 30. Some will go into the gray shirt program. You know about red shirts. Those you hold out from play a year. Gray shirts, those are the one who go to junior college for a time, or simply get bigger and stronger and older. Well, we got a good bunch coming to the next program. Again, we’re close. We’ll contend. And this season ahead we play Florida State there and Miami here. Tall order. But, that is what we want. When you mention Florida and Florida State and Miami, we at U-S-F want to be included.’’

He mentioned Florida International had cancelled its game this fall and he needs to fill the date for a sixth game at Raymond James.

“Now,” he said, “South Florida fears no one.”

However, not so fast, my friend, as Lee Corso would say, “our next goal is to win the Big East Conference. Won’t be easy, but we can and we will do it, despite our record last year when we lost some we should not have.  West Virginia remains the big bad bear in the conference. That’s the role we want.”

He said his university, its players,  its students and boosters deserve it. “We averaged about 50,000 at Ray James Stadium and a great home it is,” he acknowledged. “My wife Jody and I were guests of Pittsburgh Steeler owner Dan Rooney at the Super Bowl here two weeks ago and sat back of their bench in the front row. I got a good look at the great scene it can be there. It will make us more anxious to do well.”

And, oh, by the way, listen to this. When Anthony Henry (cornerback) finished at USF recently, he told me he’d sent the program some money from the pros. He is now at Dallas. I was thinking maybe $5,000. He sent us a check for $100,000!’’

No, Jim Leavitt isn’t going anywhere, he reaffirmed.

Yes, he’s had good offers, offers for which he would be a prime candidate. But, Jim Leavitt is a St. Petersburg native. He and Jody live here and love it. She’s a native and graduated from the University of Tampa.  I know Alabama coveted him years ago, but he signed a new USF contract and is as happy as he can be. He thanked Alabama by beating Auburn on the Plains.

“This place is wonderful. This job is wonderful. This university. This is where I wanted to be. It is still where I want to be. We have been in four bowls in four years, the last in my hometown of St. Pete in the Dome there.”

Jim Leavitt then said, read my lips.

And just as easily as I have read them when he was in front of the Bull bench suggesting what the officials might do to themselves, without a sound, mouthed with lip movement only:

  “I l-o-v-e t-h-i-s p-l-a-c-e a-n-d t-h-i-s j-o-b a-t U-S-F.’’