ESPN reports that the University of South Florida has fired head football coach Jim Leavitt.
Leavitt was under investigation by USF for allegedly grabbing and striking a special teams player, Joel Miller, during halftime of the Louisville game last November.
Paul Miller, Joel's father, made the initial allegations but later backtracked from the original complaint alluded to contact Leavitt allegedly made with his son's neck and face.
Last month, Joel Miller said allegations that he was physically harmed by Leavitt were not true.
"I don't think anything should happen to him," Miller told ESPN's Joe Schad on Dec. 16. "Me and Coach Leavitt are fine. People can say different things but he only grabbed my shoulder pads to motivate me, because he's a passionate guy. He never apologized because he had nothing to apologize for."
South Florida's findings of its investigation into the alleged incident will be released later Friday, AOL Fanhouse reports.
Leavitt is third coach fired this season amid supposed mistreatment of players. A complaint about Mike Leach's treatment of a player after a concussion ultimately led to his recent firing by Texas Tech. Mark Mangino resigned at Kansas in December amid allegations that he mistreated his players.
Leavitt started with literally nothing in 1996 and amassed a 94-57 record in his 12 years with the Bulls. Leavitt had signed two-year extension to his original seven-year, $7 million contract that he signed in 2008. The new contract was scheduled to pay him $12.6 million from the 2008–14 seasons, with the annual starting salary of $1.5 million increasing by $100,000 each contract year.
Article comments
1 - Matthew T. Sussman
Did everyone wake up today and realize that coaches sometimes behave not like other civilized humans should?
2 - J. Newcastle
I think this all started last year with the Boston College thing with Jagodzinski. Colleges have started putting their collective foot down on behavior ever since.
3 - bulls forever
I hope this is not the beginning of the end for thi program I was there from the beginning. People have to stop baby kids these days they will never learn. I not saying he is right or wrong. but stop babing
4 - FCEtier
Events constantly remind me of Bear Bryant and the "Junction City" days.
Ask Jack Pardee and Gene Stallings their opinions.....