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[USFan]

Heath named South Florida coach

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=2822896

[USFan]

South Florida to hire Heath

Jeff Goodman / FOXSports.com

Posted: 53 minutes ago    

It didn't take long for Stan Heath to find a new job.

The former Arkansas head coach will be introduced as the South Florida coach Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET, according to sources close to Heath.

Heath was fired after five seasons and an 82-71 record with the Razorbacks. He led Arkansas to the NCAA tournament this season.

Heath replaces Robert McCallum, who was 40-76 in four seasons and 12-18 this past season.

http://msn.foxsports.com/cbk/story/6636862

[USFan]

Parrish: The Thoughts

South Florida AD makes astute hire in Heath

ATLANTA -- The list of potential candidates was long and varied, from Gregg Marshall to John Pelphrey to Fran Fraschilla and on down the line. But by being deliberate in the process, South Florida athletic director Doug Woolard might've ended up with the best possible candidate when he reached an agreement with Stan Heath early Monday.

Patience makes perfect?

Perhaps that's the case here. Because though Heath was fired from Arkansas last week, he hardly failed by most people's standards.

Heath's first three years at Arkansas were part of a rebuilding process after the tumultuous way Nolan Richardson's tenure ended, but the last two seasons featured NCAA Tournament appearances thanks to a string of stellar recruiting classes that made Arkansas the best available job on the market in terms of the opportunity to win immediately. Put another way, Heath was forced to leave a wonderful situation behind -- Dana Altman appreciates it, I'm certain -- and that must be frustrating on some level. But the fact that Heath proved at Arkansas to be a high-level recruiter no doubt aided his attempt to replace Robert McCullum at South Florida, and it's why the former Tom Izzo assistant was unemployed for just a few hours short of a full week.

Speaking of recruiting, if things break correctly, the state of Florida could be prime recruiting ground for Heath over the next few years. Truth is, the situations at Miami and Florida State are unstable because of a lack of NCAA Tournament appearances. So if those programs don't rise while Florida loses Billy Donovan and replaces him with a less-than-perfect candidate, Heath could exploit a potential down time in the state and build the same type of talented roster he put together at Arkansas in a place where expectations aren't so great.

"That South Florida job is not as bad as some think," one high-level Division I coach told me over the weekend. "I think the right person could win there."

Is Heath the right person?

We'll know soon enough.

But there is no debating the guy can recruit. So credit Woolard for recognizing as much and understanding the task of turning around his program needed to be placed in the hands of a man who seems capable of finally bringing Big East-caliber players to this Big East school.

http://www.sportsline.com/columns/weblogs/entry/10104529

[USFan]

Deposed Heath agrees to become South Florida coach  

 April 2, 2007

CBS SportsLine.com wire reports      

TAMPA, Fla. -- Stan Heath's stint without a job lasted one week.

The fired Arkansas basketball coach agreed Monday to a five-year contract to take over South Florida's struggling program and try to transform the Bulls into a contender in the Big East. Including incentives, the deal is worth up to $4.275 million.

Heath, 42, will be introduced Tuesday at a news conference on the USF campus, said assistant athletic director John Gerdes. Heath replaces Robert McCullum, who was fired last month after losing 28 of 32 conference games in the school's first two seasons in one of the nation's toughest leagues.

USF athletic director Doug Woolard, who met with Heath during the Final Four in Atlanta, is counting on the new coach's experience rebuilding Arkansas in the Southeastern Conference to benefit the Bulls.

Woolard's three-week search included discussions with Winthrop's Gregg Marshall and South Alabama's John Pelphrey.

Heath was let go last week, despite compiling an 82-71 record in five seasons and taking Arkansas to the NCAA Tournament each of the past two seasons. He inherits a program that was 40-76 in four seasons under McCullum, including 12-18 this winter.

The Bulls spent the first two years of McCullum's tenure in Conference USA. They moved to the Big East in 2005 and lost their first 15 league games before beating Georgetown in the season finale.

USF won three league games this season, the highlight a home victory over then-No. 21 Notre Dame.

Heath has a reputation as a strong recruiter and his head-coaching résumé includes a trip to the round of eight in the NCAA Tournament with Kent State in 2002. That appearance was a stepping stone to the Arkansas job.

The Razorbacks finished this season with a 21-14 record, losing 77-60 to Southern California in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

http://www.sportsline.com/collegebasketball/story/10104033

[outrunner]

Saw it on the ESPN Bottomline.

[bulls96go]

good hire?

[bulls96go]

good hire?

[flsportsfan83]

yes

[mellobull]

yesss!

[mellobull]

yesss!