Will Jim Leavitt Return To South Florida?

The South Florida Bulls picked up their third bowl game victory with a 27-3 win over Northern Illinois in the 2010 International Bowl, north of the border in Toronto.

USF head coach Jim leavitt has been the head man at the program he built from the ground up in Tampa, but there is speculation that he may not return in 2010.

Leavitt began the football program in 1996 but only four years after the team's first season made the move to Division 1-A in 2001. According to the St. Petersburg Times , some online sites are reporting that Leavitt is negotiating a buyout with the University.

The head coach is facing allegations of having grabbed a player by the throat and striking him twice during halftime of a game in November.  

“There’s no truth to that. None. Zero,” Leavitt said in a media release. “It’s absolutely not true. I plan on being at the University of South Florida for many, many years. I love the school. I love Tampa. That’s my plan.”  

Leavitt is not the only head coach to face trouble this season for reasons outside of wins and loses.

Both Mark Mangino of the University of Kansas and Mike Leach of Texas Tech University were fired at their respective institutions.

In November, Magino was the subject of investigation by the Kansas Athletic Department for his conudct towards his players. On October 17th, he allegedly grabbed a player and placed a finger on his chest for laughing prior to the team's game against Colorado.      

Mangino resigned from Kansas on December 4th when he and the University agreed on a buyout.

On December 28th, Leach was suspended indefinitely by the University after the alleged treatment of Adam James, the son of ESPN's Craig James. Leach ordered James, who suffered a concussion, to stand in a dark shed.

Leach thought the player was faking the injury he suffered in practice on the 16th.  Leach was fired by Texas Tech two days after the initial suspension. 

Leavitt's fate will be determined soon to see if he continues at the helm of the Bulls.  He ended the 2009 season with a 94-57 career record.  After two seasons in Conference USA (2003-04) USF moved onto the Big East Conference.