Live from Skip Holtz’s town hall

Posted Mar 3, 2010 by Scott Carter

Updated Mar 3, 2010 at 08:40 PM

We’re here reporting live from the Skip Holtz town-hall meeting on the USF campus.

I lost my Internet connection and an earlier blog post that was nearly finished, so here is a quick rundown of some highlights so far:

—Holtz says he’ll give his defensive coordinator a lot more freedom on game day than his offensive coordinator. He likes to keep his hand in the offense since his background is offense. No worries since Holtz and Todd Fitch have been together for 13 years. “Todd will call every play, and every one of those plays will go through me.’‘

—Holtz is intrigued by the speed of Bulls sophomore RB Lindsey Lamar. He says he can see using him in a variety of ways similar to the way he used Chris Johnson at East Carolina.

—He said team reacted with excitement Wednesday when he told it that RB Mo Plancher gained a sixth year of eligibility. Plancher is most experience back on roster now that Mike Ford is no longer around.

—“It’s a very unfortunate situation. Life is all about choices. Mike Ford made a mistake. He has taken ownership and responsibility and apoligized for it. When you set rules, you have to say, ‘If a senior starter breaks it, are you willing to enforce it?’ We are doing everything we can to help him with his transfer status.’’—Holtz on Ford.

Holtz added that Ford remains enrolled at USF and will be through the spring.

—Holtz plans to invite his father Lou to spring practice and fall camp as he has for several years. He likes to give his dad a pen and pad and tell him to go sit up in a tower and watch the team practice.

—Holtz says some practices and scrimmages will be open to the public; he says media will have ample access to team during the season.

—He says he is not afraid to choose the better student over the better player when it comes to recruiting if it’s best for the long-term success of the program.

—He says Phil McGeoghan did an excellent job during recruiting season and brings a lot of “excitement and energy’’ to program.

—Holtz said he made a list of about six guys for his staff before he ever took job. “I was not asked to keep anybody.’’ Holtz retained four of former coach Jim Leavitt’s staff, complimenting Leavitt on the staff he built here.