Are USF Assistants Trying To Get Away From Leavitt?

What's going on with South Florida football?

"Jungle" Jim Leavitt's program can't hold on to its coaches these days. And that's not good news.

No, not even that pinch-me win in the inaugural magicJack St. Petersburg Bowl (Where were you when it happened?) was enough to keep long-time defensive coordinator Wally Burnham, who has left to be defensive coordinator at Iowa State.

Already departed is offensive coordinator Greg Gregory, off to be offensive coordinator at fledgling program South Alabama after being demoted to tight ends coach by Leavitt after Gregory interviewed with Urban Meyer for the tight ends position at Florida.

Talk about tight ends ...

What's going on with "Gentleman" Jim's program?

I thought that after 12 years this program stood for something, at least enough to keep guys from jumping ship.

Yes, it happens to other programs. Coaches leave. Coaches jump.

But Iowa State? South Alabama?

I think the Bulls will miss Burnham. I think they'll miss Gregory. And I'll be stunned if Leavitt replaces them with anyone but men who already are on his staff, coaches who are out of work or coaches from lesser programs.

That's where USF always gets its coaches.

It's still not a magnet.

If anything, coaches want to get away from the demanding Leavitt. Or so it seems.

Yes, Burnham worked as USF co-defensive coordinator or defensive coordinator for eight seasons, but he clearly wanted out, and it wasn't just more money or that he'll be working with his son Shane, who is also joining the Iowa State coaching staff.

Iowa State?

Burnham, 67, is leaving the state (where he'll eventually retire) and a defense that ranked 10th in the nation in 2008 for the snowdrifts and lost causes in Ames. That's how badly he wanted out.

And how did it look that Gregory, whose offense averaged 400 yards per game the past two seasons, wanted to take a position job at UF? I don't think it looked awful (it is Florida, after all), but Leavitt apparently did.

The bottom line is that USF President Judy Genshaft and athletic director Doug Woolard should be wondering why a guy like Burnham wanted out.

I think Burnham was the backbone of that defense, not just to the coaches, but to players, too.

By the way, secondary coach Troy Douglas is leaving, too, for North Carolina.

Meanwhile, I keep trying to think of the last time Leavitt hired a coach away from a program of equal stature or better.

Is USF a destination or a simply means to an end?

We're a long way from the early days, when Leavitt worked in trailers and built USF from nothing, but we keep hearing about it every time this team is on TV. I think we've thanked him enough.

The bottom line is the Bulls haven't broken through for a Big East title, and I don't see it next season, either. Last year, they went 8-5, 2-5 in the Big East. I'm not seeing this great leap forward. And having guys head out the door isn't going to help.