USF assistant leaves for Dolphins

Posted Feb 2, 2012 by Joey Johnston

Updated Feb 2, 2012 at 10:31 PM

Phil McGeoghan, the University of South Florida’s receivers coach for three seasons, is leaving to become assistant receivers coach on Joe Philbin’s staff with the Miami Dolphins, the school confirmed on Thursday night.

Through his Twitter account, USF coach Skip Holtz wished luck to McGeoghan (“Appreciate the job you have done at USF’’). On Wednesday’s National Signing Day, Holtz praised the work of McGeoghan, 32, the lead recruiter on several key prospects, such as North Marion tight end Sean Price, plus Gainesville High linebacker Tashon Whitehurst and cornerback Chris Bivins Jr. McGeoghan spoke about USF’s signings with excitement on Wednesday afternoon, a few hours before he was contacted by the Dolphins.

When Holtz was hired following the 2009 season, McGeoghan was among three of Jim Leavitt’s holdover staff members retained as a position coach.

It was the second USF assistant-coach defection this offseason. In January, defensive coordinator Mark Snyder left for Texas A&M. He was replaced by Chris Cosh, the defensive coordinator at Kansas State.

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Holtz: Good luck to Schiano

Posted Jan 26, 2012 by Joey Johnston

Updated Jan 26, 2012 at 10:20 PM

University of South Florida coach Skip Holtz was 1-1 against Rutgers when Greg Schiano was the Scarlet Knights’ coach. Now Holtz and Schiano, hired Thursday as head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, share the same town.

Holtz, during a break in recruiting with National Signing Day looming on Wednesday, sent along some well-wishes after hearing the Schiano/Bucs news.

“I’m excited for Greg and his family,’’ Holtz said in a statement released by USF. “We’ve gotten to know each other over the past few seasons. He’s a great person and a tremendous coach. We’ve had some great battles and I respect the effort and discipline his teams have played with. He’s a defensive coach with NFL experience, and I think he has a great opportunity to be successful with the Bucs. We are fans of coach Schiano and the Bucs organization and we wish them both great success.’‘

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Cosh sees great potential

Posted Jan 24, 2012 by Joey Johnston

Updated Jan 24, 2012 at 03:24 PM

Chris Cosh, the University of South Florida’s new defensive coordinator, acknowledged he made a difficult decision last week when leaving the same position at Kansas State, but said he was swayed by USF’s potential and the opportunity to reunite with head coach Skip Holtz.

“The future here is tremendous,’’ said Cosh on Tuesday in his first comments since being hired by USF on Jan. 19. “What you have around you is so exciting. All you need is a car or a bike and you’re right in the middle of a great recruiting territory.

“An incredible amount has been accomplished with this program in a very short amount of time. I think we’re on the verge of something very big here.’’

Cosh, 52, was on the South Carolina staff with Holtz from 1999-2003.

Following the 2000 season, the Gamecocks came to Tampa’s Outback Bowl and trained at USF.

“I got to know what Tampa was all about,’’ Cosh said. “It was at the very beginnings of USF’s football program at that time. I knew it had changed a lot, but really, I had no idea how much it had changed.’’

After Bulls defensive coordinator Mark Snyder left for Texas A&M on Jan. 9, Holtz contacted Cosh to gauge his interest in joining USF. It was just three days after Kansas State had lost against Arkansas 29-16 at the Cotton Bowl.

“You’re getting over the disappointment of the bowl loss, jumping into recruiting, then Skip calls and that gave me another thing to think about,’’ Cosh said. “I was excited to get the call. I knew about what Skip has done as a head coach, what kind of teacher and recruiter he is. I wanted to give it a look. When I got here, I was pleasantly surprised by everything that was here.’’

Cosh came to Tampa and attended USF’s football banquet, meeting with the players and staff. He toured the facilities and campus. Then he asked for some time to consider the job offer.

After deliberations that were more difficult that he originally suspected, Cosh told Holtz he would accept the position, which carries an annual salary of $325,000.

Cosh, who recruited parts of Florida for Kansas State, said he will utilize a four-man front. He wants USF “to be a team that runs to the football and makes the tackle. I want us to play with great enthusiasm and emotion. We want to put pressure on people and tackle them when we get there.’’

After viewing some film from USF’s 5-7 season, he said the Bulls “aren’t far away from doing big things’’ and his defense returns a “very good nucleus of players.’’

“The future here is bright,’’ Cosh said. “I’m glad to be part of it.’’

Cosh’s Kansas State defensive unit drastically improved its rush defense last season, moving to 37th nationally (131.2 yards per game) and finishing 119th (out of 120 Football Bowl Subdivision schools) in 2010. Last season, Kansas State was ranked 103rd nationally in pass defense (263.4 yards per game) in the offensively potent Big 12.

The Bulls, who failed to make a bowl game for the first time since 2004, were 39th overall in defense last season, allowing 351.3 yards per game. In Big East Conference games, the Bulls were seventh among eight teams, surrendering an average of 379 yards.

The Bulls suffered several fourth-quarter meltdowns in 2011, giving up last-minute drives to Miami and West Virginia, which led to final-play, game-winning field goals. They also allowed a last-minute drives in narrow defeats against Cincinnati and Rutgers.

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Reports: Navy to join Big East in 2015

Posted Jan 24, 2012 by TBO.com

Updated Jan 24, 2012 at 09:31 AM

Navy is expected to announce Tuesday that it will join the Big East for football in 2015, according to several news outlets, including ESPN, CBSSports.com and The Associated Press.

Athletic director Chet Gladchuk had said Navy, an independent, was comfortable with the Big East and needed to rework schedules and television contracts.

The Big East announced previously the additions of Boise State and San Diego State in football, and Houston, Central Florida and SMU in all sports, effective 2013.

USF, Cincinnati, Connecticut, Louisville and Rutgers are the Big East holdovers from a tumultuous three-month span that saw Pittsburgh and Syracuse jump to the Atlantic Coast Conference, then TCU (which was due to join in 2012) and West Virginia flee for the Big 12. West Virginia and the conference are slated for a court-ordered mediation to determine whether the school will move for 2012-13 or 2013-14.

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Reports: Navy to join Big East in 2015

Posted Jan 24, 2012 by TBO.com

Updated Jan 24, 2012 at 09:30 AM

Navy is expected to announce Tuesday that it will join the Big East conference for football in 2015, according to several news outlets, including ESPN, CBSSports.com and The Associated Press.

Athletic director Chet Gladchuk has previously said Navy, an independent, was comfortable with the Big East and needed to rework schedules and television contracts.

The Big East announced previously the additions of Boise State and San Diego State in football, and Houston, Central Florida and SMU in all sports, effective 2013.

USF, Cincinnati, Connecticut, Louisville and Rutgers are the Big East holdovers from a tumultuous three-month span that saw Pittsburgh and Syracuse jump to the Atlantic Coast Conference, then TCU (which was due to join in 2012) and West Virginia flee for the Big 12. West Virginia and the conference are slated for a court-ordered mediation to determine whether the school will move for 2012-13 or 2013-14.

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Cosh’s contract: $325,000 per year

Posted Jan 19, 2012 by Joey Johnston

Updated Jan 19, 2012 at 02:30 PM

Chris Cosh, the University of South Florida’s new defensive coordinator, agreed to a two-year deal at $325,000 per season, making him the highest-paid assistant on Coach Skip Holtz’s football staff. Cosh, who was Kansas State’s defensive coordinator for the past three seasons and agreed to join USF late Wednesday night, replaced Mark Snyder, who jumped to Texas A&M. Snyder made $260,000 last season at USF.

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USF Gets Game With Nevada

Posted Jan 17, 2012 by Joey Johnston

Updated Jan 17, 2012 at 10:25 AM

For only the third time in University of South Florida football history, the Bulls will play a game west of the Rocky Mountains.

USF will face the Nevada Wolf Pack, a Western Athletic Conference team that will join the Mountain West Conference, on Sept. 8, 2012. It completes USF’s non-conference schedule for next season, which also includes home games against Chattanooga (Sept. 1) and Florida State (Sept. 29) with road games at Ball State (Sept. 22) and Miami (Nov. 24). The Big East Conference schedule hasn’t been announced yet. Nevada is scheduled to return the game against USF at Raymond James Stadium in 2015.

In 1999, USF traveled to San Diego State and in 2001, the Bulls played at Utah.

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USF DB Spencer Boyd will transfer

Posted Jan 13, 2012 by TBO.com

Updated Jan 13, 2012 at 08:30 AM

University of South Florida coach Skip Holtz said defensive back Spencer Boyd, a rising sophomore, will transfer to another program. Boyd, who transferred to USF from Notre Dame, was suspended for the season’s final three games.

Holtz listed three other USF players – defensive tackle Marquis White, guard Tony Kibler and linebacker Armando Sanchez – who wouldn’t return next season.

Running back Darrell Scott, who would have been a senior next season, is leaving early for the NFL draft. Holtz said Scott was projected as a fourth-to-sixth-round pick by an NFL advisory board.

Holtz said he hopes to have a new defensive coordinator in place by next week. Mark Snyder, USF’s defensive coordinator the past two seasons, accepted the same position at Texas A&M.

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USF’s Holtz signs five junior college transfers

Posted Dec 21, 2011 by TBO.com

Updated Dec 21, 2011 at 03:38 PM

The University of South Florida football program added five junior college transfers on Wednesday, head coach Skip Holtz announced Wednesday.

The group includes offensive linemen Lawrence Martin and Chandlor Mathews, defensive backs Josh Brown and Fidel Montgomery, and defensive end Tevin Mims. All five are expected to enroll for the spring semester and will have two years of eligibility starting in 2012.

“We have a veteran group returning and we wanted to bring in some young men that could help us fill some holes on the depth chart,” Holtz said in a press release. “We feel we’ve addressed some need areas and this will help our depth as we go through winter workouts and into spring practice.”

Martin (6-foot-4, 290 pounds) is coming off a redshirt year at Merced College in Merced, Calif. He spent the 2010 season at offensive tackle for the Blue Devils, where he earned first-team Region II All-California honors and was named first-team All-Golden Gate Conference. In 2009, Martin played in 10 games at Georgia Military College. Originally from Daytona Beach, Martin was a four-year letterman and all-state selection at Seabreeze High School.

Mathews (6-4, 295) Mathews played in 18 games over the last two seasons at Pearl River Community College in Poplarville, Miss. He saw action in nine games last year and earned all-region honors. As a tackle, Mathews helped the Wildcats average 455 total yards per game. Mathews played in nine games as a true freshman in 2010. He played his prep football at St. Stanislas High School in Bay St. Louis, Miss.

Brown (6-1, 190) was a highly recruited prospect coming out of high school in Lancaster, Texas, where he was ranked as one of the Top 100 players in the state and one of the top cornerbacks nationally. After playing in seven games at Trinity Valley Community College in 2009, Brown redshirted before playing his sophomore season at Arizona Western Community College in Yuma, Ariz. At AWCC, Brown had 21 tackles, one interception and six pass break-ups while helping the Matadors to an 11-1 record and a berth in the NJCAA national championship game.

Motgomery (5-11, 183) joins the Bulls after making 121 tackles at Southwest Mississippi Community College in 2011, which tied for the fifth-most nationally at the junior college level. Montgomery also had one interception, three forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. He also had 13 kickoff returns for 313 yards (24.1 ypr). He had 25 tackles as a true freshman in 2010. Montgomery played his prep football at Marianna High School in Florida.

Mims (6-4, 250) played at Navarro College in 2011, where he helped the Bulldogs to a 10-2 record and a Southwest Junior College championship. He had 19 tackles, four sacks and seven tackles for loss. Originally recruited by the University of Texas, Mims played in four games as a true freshman in 2009 before redshirting in 2010.

A Round Rock, Texas native, Mims was an all-state selection at Stony Point High School, where he ranked as one of the nation’s top 20 weakside defensive ends. The 16th-ranked prospect in the state after his senior season, Mims had 122 tackles, 19 sacks, 49 tackles for loss and 23 quarterback pressures in his last two prep seasons.

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Wiregrass Ranch junior scoring sensation A.J. Blount staying a Bull, commits to USF

Posted Dec 12, 2011 by Mike Camunas

Updated Dec 12, 2011 at 09:21 AM

Wiregrass Ranch junior forward A.J. Blount has decided to remain a Bull.

The scoring sensation isn’t leaving Wiregrass, but, however, did verbally committed to the University of South Florida women’s soccer team this past weekend, her mother, Sholanda Lynch, told The Tampa Tribune on Monday morning.

“Our daughter, A.J. ... WILL REMAIN A BULL!” Lynch said in an e-mail.

Blount had high interest from several collegiate programs, despite having yet to play this season after suffering a right MCL and ACL during a club-team game in early September. Blount, who has 68 goals, 18 assists, 109 shots and 154 points in two seasons, helped lead the Bulls to a 23-3-2 record and the team’s first-ever region final appearance in the 2010-11 season. This season, Wiregrass is 7-4 through 11 games, but only has 35 goals compared to having 46 through the same last season.

In November, Wiregrass coach Erin Dodd told the Tribune that Blount “will probably scrap” her junior season due to the knee injury.

“It’s not in the best interest of anyone involved to bring her back just for it happen all over again right after the fact,” Dodd added.

Lynch said her daughter had narrowed down her decision, being torn between UCF and USF. However, Chris Brown, an assistant on the Bulls women’s team, is also Blount’s U-20 Women’s National Guyanese coach and decided to remain with Brown due to their previous history.

The USF women’s team was 6-8-4 overall and 2-6-3 in the Big East for 12th out of 16 teams in 2011. The Bulls leading scorer, sophomore Demi Stokes, had just four goals and four assists on 12 shots for 56 points.

Correspondent Mike Camunas can be reached at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or follow him on Twitter @MikeCamunasTrib.

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