TAMPA - South Florida announced Thursday that assistant coach Tommy Deffebaugh's contract would not be renewed, three days after Deffebaugh said he was fired by coach Robert McCullum.
"I was shocked," Deffebaugh said. "There was no evaluation whatsoever. I was told I wasn't coming back. ... Just general philosophical differences."
Deffebaugh was the lone assistant to come with McCullum from Western Michigan. USF was 7-20 this season, 1-15 in Conference USA, last place.
Deffebaugh, 42, said he intends to remain in the college ranks.
"I've still got a lot of coaching years left in me. I've just got to find the right place again," Deffebaugh said. "There are worse places than Tampa to be unemployed. I get to swing my golf clubs a little earlier than I thought."
McCullum, who doesn't distinguish between a No. 1, 2 and 3 assistant, said assistants Steve Henson and Frank Burnell remain in the same capacity and Deffebaugh will be replaced in "late spring."
"In the course of standard postseason evaluations, I determined we would take a new approach with our staff," McCullum said. "We really appreciate Tommy's contributions to the USF basketball program and we wish him well in his future endeavors."
HEADHUNTER HIRED: Chuck Neinas, one of the most well-known and accomplished people in athletic administration, will help South Florida find a replacement for former athletic director Lee Roy Selmon. Through his consulting firm, Neinas Sports Services of Boulder, Colo., Neinas has assisted AD and football coaching searches at schools such as Oklahoma, Georgia and Notre Dame.
"We're scouring the nation for the absolute best candidates, and Chuck Neinas can find them," said Hinks Shimberg, chair of USF's search committee. "He knows the industry, he has the contacts and people respect him. He'll be an invaluable resource."
Neinas' vast background includes lengthy stints as assistant executive director with the NCAA (1961-71), commissioner of the Big Eight (1971-79) and executive director of the College Football Association (1980-97).
He was named the 10th most powerful person in college football by Sports Illustrated and has been president of NSS since 1997.
Neinas will visit campus for several days, perhaps next week, to assess USF's needs. He is scheduled to meet with the 10-member search committee on March 30. The entire process could take 2-3 months.
