USF opens search for men’s golf coach ... and other tidbits

Posted Jun 17, 2010 by Scott Carter

Updated Jun 17, 2010 at 12:26 PM

Hey folks, hope everyone is having a good Thursday.

I’m busy working on a couple of newspaper stories, but here are some USF sports nuggets worth a mention on the blog:

+++ USF is searching for a new men’s golf coach. What happened to Jim Fee, you might ask.

Athletic director Doug Woolard announced this morning that Fee is now USF’s director of athletic events and championships.

Fee has been head men’s golf coach since 1996 and in his new role replaces Tom Buscemi, who recently resigned to pursue other opportunities in Denver.

“I am very pleased that Jim will join our administrative team,” Woolard said in a prepared statement. “He has served the university extremely well as our head men’s golf coach.’’

USF will begin a national search for a new men’s golf coach immediately.

+++ With Michigan State coach Tom Izzo staying put instead of taking over the Cleveland Cavaliers and then hoping LeBron James hangs around, USF men’s basketball coach Stan Heath’s name won’t be tossed into the Michigan State rumor mill.

Heath served as an assistant under Izzo for five seasons and is glad his former boss stayed at Michigan State.

“I am going to be a lifer. This is what I’m going to be, and I’m damn proud of it,’’ Izzo said at his press conference.

Heath to the Detroit Free-Press: “It would have been hard to imagine Michigan State taking the court without Tom Izzo on the sideline. He’s a fixture at the university and great for college basketball. Everybody is excited to have him back doing what he does best. It’s great that he never left.”

+++ Talked to USF pitcher Ray Delphey yesterday for a story on his former teammate at Alonso, unlikely FSU baseball star Sherman Johnson.

You may remember Delphey had season-ending right shoulder surgery prior to the Big East Tournament last month. He has started rehab and is thankful surgery revealed the injury wasn’t as serious as feared.

“I’m actually way ahead of schedule,’’ he said. “I’m supposed [to be sidelined] anywhere from nine months to a year, but it looks like I’m going to be back between six and seven months.

“I should be good right around the middle of the fall, be able to start facing batters and in the spring I’ll be good.’’

+++ While former USF football coach Jim Leavitt’s lawsuit heats up against the university, Leavitt will be at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore this weekend for an Under Armour Combine.

Leavitt’s attorneys are waiting for USF officials to turn over more documents related to his breach-of-contract lawsuit against the school. Another hearing in the case is scheduled for late July, if not earlier.

+++ What’s up with the USF Baseball Alumni group? I received an unsigned letter this week from the group complaining about the performance of the baseball program in four years under head coach Lelo Prado.

The Bulls have failed to make an NCAA Regional in Prado’s four seasons and a group of former players isn’t happy about it.

The letter made some valid points, but if you are going to send the media a letter that states “we are very disappointed about the direction that the program is headed,’’ please have the guts to reveal yourself and stand by your concerns publicly for a fair debate.

+++ USF men’s basketball players Toarlyn Fitzpatrick and Mike Burwell are due in court Monday to resolve their dine-and-dash case at a Tampa Village Inn in May.

They were arrested after walking out on a $29.91 bill at the Village Inn located at 215 N. Dale Mabry Highway and later charged with obtaining food with intent to defraud.

The charges are expected to be dropped via a pre-trail intervention program, but Heath plans to take some type of disciplinary action once the case is resolved.

+++ With Red McEwen Field slowly being torn down and construction expected to begin soon on new softball and baseball stadiums, school officials are also considering upgrading the soccer stadium as part of a projected $30 million facility upgrade project expected to be completed by next spring.

+++ Last but not least, USF now has four verbal commitments in the 2011 recruiting class: RB Willie Davis (Stone Mountain [Ga.] Stephenson), WR Alex Mut (Port Charlotte), S Chris Garye Jr. (Tallahassee Lincoln) and LB/DB Rontavious Atkins (Pahokee).

From what you know of the players, which one has you most excited?