USF reviewing allegations against Leavitt

The University of South Florida on Tuesday opened an internal review into an alleged incident between USF football coach Jim Leavitt and Bulls sophomore Joel Miller during halftime of USF's win over Louisville on Nov. 21.

An online report published Monday alleged Leavitt grabbed Miller by the throat and struck him twice in the face during halftime of USF's 34-22 win. Leavitt strongly denies the charges and Paul Miller, Joel's father, disputed the incident as portrayed in the story published by AOL's FanHouse.com.

"That's absolutely not true,'' Paul Miller said Monday. "As a father, that's absolutely not true. That's all I can really tell you.''

Paul Miller said Tuesday that at the request of his son, he doesn't plan to make any additional statements to the media and that the matter is resolved in his view.

However, Joel Miller's older brother, John Paul Miller, called Tampa radio station WDAE-620 AM on Tuesday morning to speak out on behalf of his brother.

John Paul Miller had harsh words for Leavitt.

"I talk to my brother often and from what I gather, Leavitt, for lack of a better term, is an 'a-hole.' He's impossible to talk to,'' Miller told the radio station. "I've never been in a room with a Division I football coach, so I don't know the conversation. But he's impossible to talk to. He's just not a very nice man. He's not a very good coach as far as I'm concerned.''

As for the alleged incident, John Paul Miller remains convinced something happened that shouldn't have.

"The whole team saw it -- oh whatever, we'll just leave it at that," Miller told the Ron & Ian Show. "It's just one of those things. I'm calling on his behalf, so everyone knows he's a good kid and he's a tough kid and he doesn't deserve any heat he gets. If he opens his mouth at all, he has everything to lose.''

As for Paul Miller, Joel's father, he met with USF officials Tuesday to provide the school's review board, a non-athletic department committee headed up by the university's human resources department, his official version of the alleged incident. The story has garnered attention nationally in the wake of the recent dismissal of Kansas coach Mark Mangino for his alleged mistreatment of players.

USF vice president of communications Michael Hoad acknowledged the review has begun and that there is currently no timetable for its completion.

"We're in fact-finding at this point,'' Hoad said Tuesday. "The allegations are serious. What we have to do is review the allegations in the article and go from there. Our commitment is to be thorough.''

Once the review is complete it will become public record, according to Hoad.

Joel Miller participated in weightlifting drills and other team activities Tuesday and is expected at practice today when the Bulls return to the field to continue preparing for the International Bowl on Jan. 2.

"All he wants to do is play football,'' Paul said late Monday at his home. "This has been hard on him, some of the things people are saying.''

Hoad expects to have more details about the internal review later this week, but at this point it remains uncertain how many, or if any, players and coaches will be interviewed.

Sherman Dorn, head of the union that represents USF's faculty, is pleased the school is conducting an investigation into the alleged incident and doing so with a committee based outside the athletic department.

He said transparency and thoroughness are important in this type of investigation.

"If there is as a serious allegation, then there should be a serious investigation,'' Dorn said. "It should be done in the same way the university conducts a serious investigation of misconduct by a faculty member. The thing to keep in mind is this is a report by a Web site that has statements [supported] by one or two observers. It's certainly appropriate for the university to investigate. There may be something to it, or maybe not.''

Meanwhile, Leavitt remained on a recruiting trip in south Florida on Tuesday. Based on Tuesday's results - USF picked up three verbal commitments from Miami Central teammates Jeffrey Godfrey (QB) and Jose Jose (OL), and Miami Northwestern DT Todd Chandler - the alleged incident hasn't impacted USF's recruiting efforts.