Why Leavitt wouldn't be as successful elsewhere.

[IncrediBULL]

man you homers are funny sometimes.

nowhere did i slam Coach Leavitt for what he has done.  he is an amazing coach when it comes to building a program and coaching up lesser-known talent.  there aren't many coaches who can find diamonds in the rough the way he does.

but what he's DONE in the past tense in terms of building a program from the ground up with the "table scraps" UF/FSU/UM leaves behind is not evidence that he can put us at the top of the elite college football stratosphere and keep us there season in and season out.

THAT IS NOT A KNOCK ON WHAT LEAVITT HAS DONE.  very few, if any, coaches can say they've done what he has done.  it is unprecedented, and the fact that he has put USF into the national discussion within the span of a decade is an incredible achievement that is being written in the college football history books before our very eyes.

but face it: 9 win seasons and finishing 4th in a conference that was raided of 3 of its 4 best teams only 4 years ago is not elite--- YET. 

i'm not saying Leavitt can't get us there, what i'm saying is he still needs to prove that he can get us there and KEEP us there before we heap every form of praise--- verbal or financial--- on the guy.

some of you seem to forget this is all as new to Leavitt as it is to his players and to USF fans.  i "BULLieve" as much as the next guy, but how do you or anyone know that he can take that next step? 

your last sentence is where yu are wrong.  Leavitt has been there before.  You forget he was the Co Defensive coordinator with Bob Stoops at K State , the number 1 defense in the nation.  So he has been at the top and is bringing us there, with a step up each and every year. 

Is there more to accomplish, yes, he is not done.  But he is the best coach we could have ever asked for.  And he is not going anywhere....

[TRUTH D. Antagonist]

Fact is, 9 win seasons in a row is a accomplishment.

for a young program like USF, yes... for an elite program?  no. 

Also, please show us how strong those "3 of it's best 4 teams" have done the past 2-3 years.

VTech won the ACC in 2004, beat Louisville in 2005, and won the ACC again last year.

they've had consecutive 10 and 11 win seasons since leaving the Big East...

funny that u proclaim 9 wins to be "a accomplishment," then try to belittle VTech since leaving the BEast when they haven't won less than 10 games since leaving.

Miami won back to back 9 win seasons in their first 2 years in the ACC [2004-5], and that wasn't exactly considered an accomplishment then.

Boston College won 11 games last year, 10 games the year before, and 9 games in 2005 [their first in the ACC].

I have seen Leavitt improve as a Head Coach these past 12 years. He's never been a HC before and it's a learning process and hink he has the tools. There is no reason to BULLieve he can not do it. Many schools wanted him because they BULLieve he can also.

With expected better talent in the players, I see better endings in our games.

i "BULLieve" he can do it too... what i'm saying is let's not jump the gun and act like the guy is a proven winner at the elite level when he has yet to prove that.

[TRUTH D. Antagonist]

your last sentence is where yu are wrong.  Leavitt has been there before.  You forget he was the Co Defensive coordinator with Bob Stoops at K State , the number 1 defense in the nation.   So he has been at the top and is bringing us there, with a step up each and every year. 

co-defensive coordinator is different than head coach.

how many conference championships did KState win during Leavitt's tenure as co-DC?  none.

i never said CJL wasn't qualified or didn't have experience prior to coaching USF... but he doesn't have experience leading a team at the elite level.  and that's a fact.

[windbane]

Bigbully:  The ACC has been the weakest conference the last 2 years.  We've won as many as Miami and in a better conference.  We made it to #2 and lost 3 heart-breaking games in a row.  10 wins isn't much different from what USF accomplished.  Auburn is an elite program and we beat them.  WVU is considered an elite program and we beat them.

[TRUTH D. Antagonist]

Bigbully:  The ACC has been the weakest conference the last 2 years.  We've won as many as Miami and in a better conference.  We made it to #2 and lost 3 heart-breaking games in a row.  10 wins isn't much different from what USF accomplished.  Auburn is an elite program and we beat them.  WVU is considered an elite program and we beat them.

10 wins are 10 wins.

9 wins are 9 wins.

you can talk about strength of conference all you want, but until we win a league title, make a BCS bowl, and consistently win 10 or 11 games year in and year out, i don't see how showering Leavitt with everything he could ask for is justified.

the man still has something to work towards.  yes, he is responsible for the unprecedented growth of an upstart program into a ranked team... but being ranked isn't what we're here for.  league titles, BCS bowls and eventually an NC are what it's about, and Leavitt still hasn't proven he can break the 10-game ceiling so let's not get ahead of ourselves as if Leavitt is Jesus in a visor.

[E.T.]

And this coming from someone that has no problem putting in a True FR at QB over a proven winner that has been in the program 3 years.

Why don't some understand that we're excited about what we've achieved, not content. ALL we're pissed at those winnable games we lost. We had a Big East Title in our hands and National Tilte game awaiting us. That SUCKED losing.

There is no reason to think Leavitt can't get us there with more talented depth, which we are doing sonce joining the Big East. Do you realize that it's a major help? Look at what we've done in that short time, silly to think we are not and can't get better.

Go BULLS !!!

P.S. 9 wins is not 9 wins, you would be prouder of a C-USA Division Title with 10 wins ?

[windbane]

Bigbully:  The ACC has been the weakest conference the last 2 years.  We've won as many as Miami and in a better conference.  We made it to #2 and lost 3 heart-breaking games in a row.  10 wins isn't much different from what USF accomplished.  Auburn is an elite program and we beat them.  WVU is considered an elite program and we beat them.

10 wins are 10 wins.

9 wins are 9 wins.

you can talk about strength of conference all you want, but until we win a league title, make a BCS bowl, and consistently win 10 or 11 games year in and year out, i don't see how showering Leavitt with everything he could ask for is justified.

the man still has something to work towards.  yes, he is responsible for the unprecedented growth of an upstart program into a ranked team... but being ranked isn't what we're here for.  league titles, BCS bowls and eventually an NC are what it's about, and Leavitt still hasn't proven he can break the 10-game ceiling so let's not get ahead of ourselves as if Leavitt is Jesus in a visor.

UF didn't win 10 games, but I believe people consider them an elite program right now.

The difference between 9 games and 10 games is only 1 game, just so you know...

I guess you are the reason so many items are priced just under big whole numbers.  Something you won't consider buying for $1.00 you'd buy for 95 cents and think it's a much better deal. 

Stop nitpicking about imaginary milestones.

[windbane]

And this coming from someone that has no problem putting in a True FR at QB over a proven winner that has been in the program 3 years.

really, this is the same guy throwing Grothe under the bus for not being perfect?  Good grief...

[TRUTH D. Antagonist]

There is no reason to think Leavitt can't get us there with more talented depth, which we are doing sonce joining the Big East. Do you realize that it's a major help? Look at what we've done in that short time, silly to think we are not and can't get better.

I never said we can't get better. in fact, I said the exact opposite: i fully believe we will get better.

but Leavitt hasn't actually done it yet, and i don't think heaping every accolade and every financial incentive on the guy BEFORE he actually gets us to that level is premature.

P.S. 9 wins is not 9 wins, you would be prouder of a C-USA Division Title with 10 wins ?

we're  talking about teams in the BEast and ACC--- both BCS conferences--- not mid-majors.

[TRUTH D. Antagonist]

UF didn't win 10 games, but I believe people consider them an elite program right now.

The difference between 9 games and 10 games is only 1 game, just so you know...

and that 9-win season wasn't exactly something Gayturd fans were excited about, now was it?

of course not.  because anything less than 10 or 11 wins and a conference championship is not good enough for an elite program.

and that's the point--- we think 9-wins is an accomplishment, elite programs think it is a consolation prize.

AGAIN--- i'm not taking anything away from the last 2 seasons, but until Leavitt can actually coach this team to 10+ wins, conference championships and BCS-bowls, i'm not going to act like he's the best coach in America.