Bulls football turns to Jefferson for assistant

By SCOTT PURKS
Published January 31, 2006

TAMPA - Mike Simmonds, one of the most successful bay area high school coaches in the past eight years, resigned from Jefferson on Monday to become a graduate assistant at USF.

"This was a tough decision, but I felt the timing was right for this," said Simmonds, who will help coach the defensive line. "I'll miss Jefferson and everything we've built here. But I look forward to helping USF win the Big East title, get in the BCS and go for the national title."

In eight years, Simmonds led the Dragons to a 75-28 record and state final appearances in 2002 and 2004. In the past five years, the Dragons placed 17 students in Division I programs.

"Getting the kids to college is what I'm most proud of," said Simmonds, who will be working toward a masters in education. "I was here for the kids more than anything. I always told our guys to be goal-oriented, and I now I'm doing the same thing, being goal-oriented."

Simmonds said he believed current Jefferson offensive coordinator Mike Fenton should be considered the leading candidate for the coaching position.

"I've talked to Mike, and he said he's ready for that challenge," Simmonds said. "I most certainly think he is. I think we have a good thing going here, and we should keep the continuity. Keeping Mike and the rest of the staff intact would keep that continuity."

USF: Jason Sherman, a 6-foot-4 receiver from Jacksonville First Coast who had committed to Cincinnati, orally committed to USF during an official campus visit last weekend, according to recruiting sites usfnation.com and usfbullseye.com.

YOUNG WAITING: Vince Young was back in Texas' No.10 jersey, competing in a made-for-TV event and wondering whose uniform he'll wear next.

Still savoring Texas' victory over Southern California in the Rose Bowl for the national championship, Young took a break in his offseason training routine and flew to Miami to join 11 other players in the all-star challenge, which will be shown Saturday on ESPN.

Young declined to predict which team will take him in the NFL draft.

"I don't know," he said. "It's kind of crazy right now. You hear that a lot of teams are trying to trade, a lot of different things. You never know what's going on."

Young's hometown Texans draft first, followed by the Saints and Titans.

Also, Texas coach Mack Brown will see a raise of about $300,000 for the 2006 season. Athletic director DeLoss Dodds said he will proposed increasing Brown's salary from a scheduled $2.259-million to at least $2.559-million.

SOCCER: South Florida midfielder Kevon Neaves has been called up by Trinidad and Tobago for training in preparation for the World Cup in Germany. Neaves, who had two goals and three assists for the Bulls this season, is scheduled to report Wednesday.

Information from other news organizations was used in this report.

[Last modified January 31, 2006, 03:34:37]