With no reason to, Leavitt picks loyalty

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© St. Petersburg Times
published December 12, 2002

Once again, it appears, Jim Leavitt could catch us by surprise.

Here is a coach who was handed an aluminum office shed and a used blocking sled and turned it into a winning football program.

This is a guy who was dropped, at least by NCAA standards, just south of obscure and a little north of nowhere and created a buzz.

He made you believe in something you had never seen. He made you care about something you had never considered.

Now, to top it off, he may shake your view of greed and upset your concept of ego. Today, Leavitt may follow his heart instead of some distant star.

Indications are growing that Leavitt and the University of South Florida have agreed on a contract extension.

If this is so, there are two possible reactions:

Good for USF.

Or, alternatively, you might see it this way:

Holy mackerel!

On the triumph scale, this would land somewhere near boffola. In a very real sense, Leavitt is as critical to South Florida as Jon Gruden was to the Bucs or Lou Piniella to the Devil Rays.

He literally built the program at USF and now, it seems, he might stick around to show it off to everyone from Beano to Idaho.

Ah, you might be inclined to take the cynic's approach. A contract extension, after all, has been in the works for 11 months. And, as a potential suitor, Alabama was suddenly leering at other coaches on the hay ride.

Do not be distracted by these details. The reality is Leavitt is one of the nation's hotter coaching properties and he apparently is smitten with USF.

Did you catch that, Motor City Bowl?

U-S-F.

A school with minimal booster power. With practically no national exposure and a borrowed stadium that is half full on a good night.

A school with little history but, today, a brighter future.

Do not misunderstand the importance of what Leavitt apparently is prepared to do. He is, at 46, in the prime of his career. He could put himself on eBay and watch the downloads rise.

If you think his window of opportunity faded with the Crimson Tide, you are sorely mistaken. The flirtation with Alabama has made him hotter than ever. There was talk late Wednesday that UCLA was now interested.

His 17-5 record the past two seasons may have gotten Leavitt attention, but the clandestine meeting Tuesday with Alabama folks legitimized his reputation.

It would only be a matter of time before other athletic directors start driving up Fowler Avenue to see what the fuss is about.

Maybe they will come still. Maybe USF will endure speculation like this again and again. When you think about it, athletic director Lee Roy Selmon and university president Judy Genshaft should be so lucky.

You see, every time someone shows interest in Leavitt, the spotlight shines brighter in Tampa. Fans wonder about his team. Recruits want to hear his spiel. Reporters want to get his story.

And the best part is that the story is so rare.

In a day when college football coaches jump from city to city with a trail of broken promises in their wake -- and how do you suppose Dennis Franchione is enjoying Texas A&M? -- Leavitt may strike a blow for loyalty.

He has been underpaid for years and has listened to officials promise him improved athletic facilities that still exist only on paper.

So why not leave?

He could thumb his nose at Conference USA, the way the league has snubbed USF, and search for opportunities in the SEC, Big Ten or another conference with more tradition.

So why not pursue other opportunities?

If he pulls an about-face and announces today he is leaving USF, who would blame him?

Let's face it: Even if he signs an extension, Leavitt will be leaving money on the table. The school has been slow to talk contract with him because it does not have the same resources as others.

His base salary next year is scheduled to jump to the $200,000 range, which is similar to what Florida paid Ron Zook this season. The difference is UF's Athletic Association paid Zook another $800,000 for TV and radio gigs, appearances at booster functions and an apparel deal.

Leavitt's outside income at USF is closer to $40,000.

A new contract would undoubtedly make him wealthy. His salary could double in a single day. And it still will fall short of what he could be making if he wanted to lobby at Kentucky, loiter around Michigan State or apply at UCLA.

That's the beauty of the moment. That's what potentially makes today so special. Leavitt grew up here and, apparently, has taken his allegiance seriously.

So if he stands in front of TV cameras today and swears it is not about the money, do something that is contrary to everything you have come to understand about sports stars and their motivations:

Believe him.

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