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Leavitt link to Missouri fuels talk

By SHARON GINN

© St. Petersburg Times, published November 21, 2000

TAMPA -- South Florida coach Jim Leavitt is among possible candidates mentioned to replace Larry Smith at Missouri, but Leavitt said early Monday afternoon he had not been contacted by Missouri officials.

Leavitt did not return follow-up calls Monday evening, but USF athletic director Paul Griffin said he has not received a request for permission to talk to Leavitt.

Leavitt has plenty of ties to the Big 12. Before coming to USF, he was co-defensive coordinator at Kansas State with Bob Stoops, now coach of No. 1 Oklahoma. He graduated from Missouri in 1978 after earning second-team All-Big Eight honors as a defensive back, and spent two years with the Tigers as a graduate assistant.

Leavitt, who is 27-17 in the Bulls' four seasons, has repeatedly said he is happy living near his hometown of St. Petersburg and building the program at USF.

Florida State offensive coach Mark Richt and TCU coach Dennis Franchione also are mentioned as replacements for Smith, fired after going 33-46-1 in seven seasons at Missouri. Richt, a former Miami quarterback in his 15th season with the Seminoles, said Monday he will interview.

Grossman to start

GAINESVILLE -- Redshirt freshman quarterback Rex Grossman will start for Florida in the SEC Championship Game against Auburn, coach Steve Spurrier said Monday. Senior Jesse Palmer, who played the bulk of Saturday's loss at Florida State, will be the backup in the Dec. 2 title game in Atlanta.

"We are going to go back to our other plan of Rex starting and Jesse ready to go," Spurrier said. "Jesse did not play that poorly (against FSU). That's just the way we feel like we need to go."

The Gators defeated Auburn 38-7 last month as Grossman passed for 232 yards and five touchdowns.

SURGERY FOR JOHNSON: Sophomore defensive back Todd Johnson had surgery Monday on his fractured left index finger. His status for the Dec. 2 SEC title game against Auburn will be determined in 7-10 days.

Other colleges

BALL STATE: The team, which snapped a 21-game losing streak with five wins in seven games, gave coach Bill Lynch a contract extension through the 2002 season.

MEMPHIS: Coach Rip Scherer was fired after he failed to lead the Tigers to a winning record in any of his six seasons. Scherer, 48, led Memphis to a 22-44 record.

NORTH CAROLINA: Carl Torbush was fired despite a late run making the Tar Heels bowl eligible at 6-5.

- Staff writer Brian Landman and correspondent Debi Jones contributed to this report, which includes information from Times wires.

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