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Griffin Never Doubted USF's Success

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 20, 2007

TAMPA - When former University of South Florida AD Paul Griffin hired Jim Leavitt as USF's coach in 1995, they were confident the program would be successful. They just didn't know how quickly.

The Bulls reached another milestone Sunday, earning their first Associated Press ranking (No. 23).

'Jim and I never doubted it would be successful,' said Griffin, a senior associate AD at Georgia Tech. 'When, we had no idea. Most of Jim and mine's thoughts weren't realistic.

'But the national ranking this week is another great accomplishment in one of the greatest football stories in the past 20 years.'

Griffin said it is a compliment that some of the schools around the nation starting football during the past decade have looked to USF as an example to follow.

'I find it interesting that they identify South Florida as a model,' Griffin said. 'That's good, but one size doesn't fit all. The roadside is littered with a lot of failures.'

USF, of course, is not one.

Griffin said the success of the program can be attributed to countless individuals - 'You couldn't fit them all on a football field,' he said - including former USF presidents Frank Borkowski and Betty Castor and boosters Ed Rood, Frank Morsani and Chris Sullivan.

'I'm happy to be recognized for my role with a program that is successful and will continue to be successful,' Griffin said. 'You only get to start it one time. I'm happy to be associated with it and very respectful of the job others have done since I've moved to Atlanta.

'I'll always have a connection with USF. Thank god for TiVo. I can watch the games on Sundays.'

TOP 10 CLASH: The men's soccer team (5-0), ranked as high as No. 10 in the nation, hosts No. 2 UConn on Friday at 7:30 p.m. in the Big East opener.

Simon Schoendorf (four goals, 11 points) and Kevon Neaves (three goals, 10 points) lead the Bulls' offense. A win would have extra meaning for USF coach George Kiefer, who was a former UConn assistant.

CYCLONE DAN: Perhaps there was no USF assistant who enjoyed the off week more than DL coach Dan McCarney, whose former Iowa State club upset Iowa 15-13 on Saturday.

'It was about as weird as it gets,' said McCarney, who was ISU's coach the past 12 seasons. 'We built that program from scratch. It was winless when I got there and the stadium was half empty and we built it.

'Twenty of 22 starters were my guys I recruited, plus the punter, plus the kicker. I'm so proud of those kids and happy for them.'

ODDS AND ENDS: Senior Mike Jenkins is rated the nation's No. 1 senior cornerback prospect for the NFL Draft by ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. ... Former USF K Bill Gramatica plays - what else - a football player in 'The Game Plan,' a Disney movie starring Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson. It opens nationwide Sept. 28. ... Parking lots open Saturday at 8 a.m. for the USF-North Carolina contest and will open at 3 p.m. Friday for next week's USF-West Virginia contest. ... The women's soccer team (1-3-1) visits No. 23 Marquette in their Big East opener. The Bulls' home opener is Sept. 28 against UConn.

Listen to reporter Brett McMurphy discuss USF sports on 'Hot Lunch with J.P. Peterson' on WHBO, 1470 AM, today between noon and 2 p.m.

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