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Analyzing Woolard's USF tenure

Tribune file photo by JULIE BUSCH (2007)

Woolard has signed home-and-home deals with two of the state's 'Big Three': FSU and Miami.

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By BRETT McMURPHY | The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 14, 2009

TAMPA - On May 5, 2004, Doug Woolard was asked what his first priority would be if hired as athletic director at the University of South Florida.

"We need to look at what are our immediate and intermediate needs and look at some longer-range planning," he said. "I want to review the infrastructure. You have to be sound internally before we can take our message to the community. I want to drill down into all the financial revenue pieces to see how we're doing."

So how has Woolard, who makes $476,950 a year, including annual bonuses of $55,000, done since starting at USF five years ago today?

Among the achievements: Big East titles in men's and women's tennis, softball and men's soccer, the first NCAA berth and a WNIT title in women's basketball, and four consecutive football bowl berths and cracking the Top 10 in 2007 and 2008.

Some disappointments: lack of new facilities, a disparity of salaries for coaches and assistants (with the exception of football coach Jim Leavitt) compared to their Big East peers and letting contracts for successful coaches George Kiefer (men's soccer) and Jose Fernandez (women's basketball) dwindle to their final year.

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