Colleges

Ex-Indiana assistant completes USF staff

By GREG AUMAN
Published March 23, 2006

TAMPA - USF coach Jim Leavitt has completed his staff, hiring former Michigan State and Indiana assistant Troy Douglas to coach the safeties.

Douglas, 40, interviewed with Leavitt on Friday and resigned Tuesday as running backs coach at North Texas, a job he accepted last month after he wasn't retained from Terry Hoeppner's 2005 staff at Indiana. He spent the past two seasons with the Hoosiers, serving as defensive backs coach and recruiting coordinator.

Douglas replaces Rick Kravitz, who left last month after 10 years to coach safeties and special teams at North Carolina State. Like new defensive line coach Bernard Clark, Douglas is a Florida native (born in Jacksonville) who has recruited the state for several colleges.

Also, running back already is the thinnest position this spring with only two scholarship players on the roster, and redshirt freshman Moise Plancher sustained a hamstring injury during Tuesday's practice. Leavitt said he did not know the severity, but Plancher did not practice Wednesday.

Sophomore Carlton Hill, atop the depth chart at quarterback, left practice after a half-hour to attend a class, and Leavitt said he'll miss today's practice as well, returning for an intrasquad scrimmage Saturday.

Freshman Kim Waleszonia went 4-for-4 to lead host Florida past Jacksonville 5-0. The Gators scored four with two outs in the second. Waleszonia's bases-loaded single scored two. Lindsey Cameron and Kristen Butler followed with run-scoring singles.

USF 3-3, TOWSON 0-0: Bree Spence, a Countryside High graduate, and Cristi Ecks pitched complete games for the host Bulls. Christie Chapman drove in two in Game 1. She went 3-for-3 with an RBI and run scored in Game 2.

BASEBALL: Ryan Strauss had two RBIs and visiting Florida State (22-2) defeated Jacksonville 4-1. ... Carter Clements allowed five hits and one run in 71/3 innings as host Saint Leo (20-9) defeated Pace 4-1.

Times correspondent Mike Camunas contributed to this report, which used information from Times wires.

[Last modified March 23, 2006, 02:30:12]