1. James Pierce Leavitt was born on December 5,1956 and is an American college football coach and former player.
17 Facts About Jim Leavitt
1. 2.
Jim Leavitt grew up in St Petersburg, Florida, and was a star quarterback for Dixie Hollins High School.
3.
Jim Leavitt then left for the University of Dubuque, where he spent two years as their football team's defensive coordinator.
4.
At Kansas State, Jim Leavitt first spent one year as linebackers coach then five more as co-defensive coordinator, sharing the position with Bob Stoops.
5.
On December 12,1995, Jim Leavitt was hired as head coach for the new football team at the University of South Florida.
6.
Jim Leavitt signed his first class in 1996 for the first varsity season in 1997; all players redshirted in 1996.
7.
In December 2005, after the team's first season as members of the Big East, Jim Leavitt led the Bulls to their 100th game and first ever bowl game at the Meineke Car Care Bowl in Charlotte, North Carolina.
8.
One year later, Jim Leavitt led the team to its first ever bowl win in the PapaJohns.
9.
Jim Leavitt was pursued by Kansas State after his mentor there, Bill Snyder, stepped down.
10.
On both occasions, Jim Leavitt chose to stay with the program he had created.
11.
Again, Jim Leavitt expressed his desire and intent to stay with the program he established at South Florida and removed himself from consideration for those positions.
12.
On March 11,2008, Jim Leavitt signed a two-year extension to his original seven-year, $7 million contract that he signed in 2006.
13.
On January 8,2010, Jim Leavitt was fired after an investigation by USF officials found that he had struck a player in the locker room during halftime of a game against Louisville the previous November 21.
14.
Jim Leavitt claimed he was merely trying to console the player and never struck him.
15.
School officials found that Jim Leavitt was not truthful about what happened, and found that he had interfered with the investigation.
16.
Jim Leavitt was hired as defensive coordinator for the Colorado Buffaloes on February 5,2015.
17.
Jim Leavitt was hired as defensive coordinator for the Oregon Ducks on December 14,2016.