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Fired Gregory Still At Work

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By BRETT McMURPHY

bmcmurphy@tampatrib.com

Published: January 21, 2009

TAMPA - Three days after his supposed firing from the University of South Florida, offensive coordinator Greg Gregory was still at work - at USF.

Confused? Join the club.

At 10:11 p.m. Saturday, USF sports information director Chris Freet

e-mailed a three-paragraph statement that "Gregory has been released from his duties as offensive coordinator" and USF would "begin a search for a new coordinator immediately."

Gregory's bio also was removed from the school's official Web site.

USF coach Jim Leavitt has not returned multiple phone calls the past four days from The Tampa Tribune about Gregory.

On Sunday and Monday, Freet, via text messages, confirmed that Gregory was "gone from staff" and Freet indicated Leavitt provided this information.

Yet, Gregory was spotted in his office and answered his office telephone Tuesday afternoon.

"I'm not speaking about anything," Gregory said.
Freet said Tuesday, as far as he knew, "nothing had changed" and his understanding is Gregory is not on the staff. Leavitt told Freet on Tuesday he would not comment beyond what was in the release.

So the question remains: Is Gregory gone from USF or still employed at USF? Until Leavitt or Gregory comment on this situation, who knows?

If Gregory remains at USF coaching in a different position, WR coach Mike Canales is easily the clear-cut favorite to be promoted to offensive coordinator since the Bulls would not lose any staff members.

Canales was the program's first offensive coordinator before leaving after the 2000 season. He returned to USF in 2007.
Home Boys
In a comprehensive study by SI.com's Andy Staples of the past five recruiting classes of the 66 BCS football schools (including Notre Dame), USF had the nation's shortest average distance between the players' hometowns and the school.

USF also finished third in the nation, behind Baylor and Texas A&M, in percentage of recruits from within 200 miles of campus and second in the nation, behind Texas, in percentage of in-state recruits. The entire report is available today at SI.com.

Where's The School Spirit?

Of the six Big East schools that went to bowl games in 2008, USF sold the third-most tickets (8,500). The actual attendance at Tropicana Field was 21,863.

However, despite one of the nation's largest enrollments, only 533 - or 0.01 percent - of the school's students attended the St. Pete Bowl, located about 40 minutes from campus.

What's more surprising about the low student turnout was USF offered discounted $10 tickets and of USF's fall enrollment of 46,330, nearly two-thirds of USF's students (30,300) are from Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Polk, Manatee and Sarasota counties.

Odds And Ends

LB Tyrone McKenzie will participate in the Senior Bowl on Saturday. ... When Armwood High DE Ryne Giddins, who verbally committed to USF, makes his debut this fall, he will be USF's first Parade All-American to play in a game. Technically, WR DiShon Platt actually was USF's first Parade All-American. However, Platt, an FSU transfer, left USF after a semester in 2002 and never played for USF. ... CBS Sports.com's 2009 preseason Top 25 football poll did not include any Big East teams. Cincinnati and Pittsburgh were listed among 10 additional teams to watch. ... With Pitt ranked No. 1 two weeks ago, it left only five Big East men's basketball programs (Louisville, Villanova, Rutgers, Providence and USF) that have never been ranked No. 1 in the nation. UL and Villanova have reached No. 2; Rutgers and Providence No. 3, while the Bulls have yet to crack the Top 25.

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