College football

Big raise locks up Leavitt

Forget about it, Kansas State. USF football coach Jim Leavitt agrees to a new seven-year deal worth $1-million a season with much tougher buyout clauses.

By GREG AUMAN
Published December 1, 2005

TAMPA - Jim Leavitt is staying right here.

The only head coach in USF's 10 years of football, closing in on the program's first bowl appearance amid speculation he might succeed his mentor Bill Snyder at Kansas State, agreed to a new seven-year contract that will pay him $1-million a season to stay with the Bulls through 2012.

It's a significant raise for Leavitt, who will make 45 percent more in the next four years than he would have under his previous contract.

"I came here for $75,000 my first year, and I was happy to get that," said Leavitt, who turns 49 Monday. "I've said from the very beginning that USF is one of the best coaching jobs in America. I am very fortunate to coach for USF and it's something I will never take for granted."

The money is a testament to how far Leavitt has taken the Bulls in just nine seasons, from Division I-AA to Conference USA to this fall's surprising success with a 6-4 record in the Bulls' first year in the Big East.

"Any time you have a coach that has success, they get attention across the country," athletic director Doug Woolard said. "Regardless of that, I think this was the right thing to do at the right time. Jim's done such a great job of building this program from literally not having a program to being in contention as late as we were for a BCS game."

More significantly for Bulls fans, under his new contract, it will cost a lot more for another school to pry Leavitt away from USF. The buyout in his old deal was a measly $50,000, loose change for a major college football program, but that buyout is now $500,000 until 2008. Then it drops to $400,000 for four years.

"I think it was important for everybody involved to show this is a great place and I'm fortunate to be here," said Leavitt, who was previously courted for vacancies at Indiana and Alabama. "I think I've made that pretty clear with different things through the years."

The timing is curiously urgent, given Leavitt's aversion to any distractions during a game week - his Bulls close the regular season at home Saturday against No.12 West Virginia - and Woolard's previous stance of not negotiating contracts while a sport is in season. Woolard said Wednesday that he was never contacted by Kansas State for permission to speak with his coach.

Leavitt, who worked under Snyder from 1990-95, dismissed questions about the Wildcats, declining to comment on whether he'd been offered the job or even had conversations with his former employer.

"I'm focused on South Florida," said Leavitt, who has a 61-37 record in nine seasons at USF. "I'm not even going to enter into any of those things."

Leavitt said a "critical" part of his new deal was a 23 percent raise to the pool of money for his full-time assistants. Leavitt's staff made a combined $690,000 this season, but that figure goes up to $850,000 in 2006 and increases by $100,000 each season. By 2012, he'll have twice as much money to pay his assistants as he did this year.

"You can't do anything without a great staff," Leavitt said. "This staff has worked extremely hard. We went into this year, most people thought we might win a couple. We've shown a little more than that. We're disappointed about (last week's 15-10 loss to Connecticut), but isn't that a great thing that people are disappointed we didn't win a Big East championship?"

The new deal allows Leavitt to stay close to home. His family moved to St. Petersburg when he was 8, and he graduated from Dixie Hollins. Next month will mark the 10th anniversary of his hiring at USF.

"As long as he's happy, he can go wherever he wants, but yes, it's nice to have him close," his mother Lois said.

Leavitt coached only three seasons on his previous seven-year contract before renegotiating, and he's likely to do the same again. His last deal had a salary that escalated by 10 percent each year, but this contract has his total compensation level at exactly $1-million each year through 2012.

His 2006 base salary is $600,000, barely up from the $541,948 he was scheduled to make, but his supplemental pay from TV and radio appearances leaps from $50,000 to $375,000, with another $25,000 paid in an annuity. The only new bonus added is a $75,000 incentive if the Bulls reach a BCS bowl.

Leavitt told his players of the new deal before Wednesday's practice, saying he was their coach for the rest of their time at USF, "whether you like it or not." After two weeks of uncertainty, the Bulls certainly like the news.

"It's a big relief. I'm glad he signed again," redshirt freshman running back Ricky Ponton said. "He's a big reason why I came here, and I'm a firm believer in what he's doing. He's brought this team a long way."

[Last modified December 1, 2005, 01:07:16]