Getting To Know The Opponent: South Florida

Skip Holtz and the South Florida Bulls will come into town this weekend to take on Louisville for their homecoming. Let’s take a closer looks at this week’s enemy.

Location: Tampa, FL.

Tampa is located is located on the west coast of Florida near the Gulf of Mexico. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709. The word “Tampa” may mean “sticks of fire” in the language of the Calusa, a Native American tribe that once lived south of today’s Tampa Bay. USF is the eighth largest university in the nation and the third largest in the state of Florida, with a total enrollment of 47,122 

Football Tradition:

The South Florida Bulls football program began in 1997, holding their first team meeting under a shade tree as the school had no proper football facilities on campus. Jim Leavitt, previously the defensive coordinator at Kansas State, was hired as the team’s first head coach.  After competing their first four years as a Division I-AA (now Division I FCS) independent, the Bulls moved to Division I-A, now Division I FBS, in 2001 but remained independent. They joined Conference USA in 2003 until becoming a member of the Big East in 2005.

The Bulls had their best season in 2007 finishing with a 9-4 record. Their 30-27 upset over Rutgers on October 20^th of 2007 earned them a No. 2 national ranking in the AP Poll.

Jim Leavitt was fired on January 8, 2010 after an investigation revealed that during halftime of a game against Louisville, he grabbed a player by the shoulder pads and struck him across the face two times. The investigation also claimed that Leavitt interfered with the investigation by telling several coaches and players to change their stories. Skip Holtz, previously the coach at East Carolina was hired on January 14^th 2010.

Notable Alumni:

Hulk Hogan: Professional wrestler turned porn star.

Tony La Russa: Manager St. Louis Cardinals

Frank Davis: Detroit Lions,first Panamanian to play in the NFL.

Don Bank: Columnist for Sports Illustrated.

Chucky Atkins: Guard, Detroit Pistons