![South Florida Bulls head coach Jeff Scott argues with the referee while playing the Gators at Steve Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, September 17, 2022. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun]
Ncaa Football Florida Gators Vs Usf](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_1741,h_979/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/158/01j2y1b8fq46m41fdrmw.jpg "South Florida Bulls head coach Jeff Scott argues with the referee while playing the Gators at Steve Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, September 17, 2022. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun]
Ncaa Football Florida Gators Vs Usf")
When the head coach of a major college athletic program is fired, it’s not unusual for that person to become an assistant at another school and wait for another chance. However, former USF football coach Jeff Scott doesn’t follow that script.
Scott has joined Blackstream Christie’s international real estate firm as an agent in the company's new Six Mile, S.C. office.
In his bio on Blackstream's website, the company notes, “His leadership and strategic prowess (in football) were undeniable, but Jeff felt a calling beyond the gridiron.
“With a vision to serve his community in a new way, Jeff founded Haven Valley Handcrafted Custom Homes. His mission continues to be clear: to provide quality and integrity in home construction, prioritizing client needs over sheer volume. Jeff has poured his heart into this venture, creating homes that stood as testaments to his dedication and craftsmanship.”
He spent 2023, his first full year away from football after USF fired him in 2022, coaching his son’s U-4 soccer team. In a tweet, he joked, “I could tell within the first five minutes of our first practice tonight that this will probably be the most challenging coaching job I’ve had I have a newfound respect for all the youth coaches across the country”
I am in fact coaching in Clemson this fall…
— Coach Jeff Scott (@coach_jeffscott) September 13, 2023
4U Soccer ⚽️
I could tell within the first five minutes of our first practice tonight that this will probably be the most challenging coaching job I’ve had
I have a newfound respect for all the youth coaches across the country‼️ pic.twitter.com/bFSE6F2Ip5
After he left USF, there was speculation that University of Florida coach Billy Napier would hire his long-time friend as an assistant.
"Jeff's a football guy. He's been in football families the entire time. His dad, Brad Scott, was a phenomenal coach and a great mentor to me early in my career," Napier said in 2022 when the Gators prepared to face USF. "He's got a great offensive mind. He's very organized, very much a CEO, got a good business mind, and a guy that I think is one of the bright young coaches in the game."
Scott’s name came up when the Gators were looking for a wide receiver coach, but nothing came of that rumor.
His tenure at USF, of course, was a disaster. Hiring him was widely seen as a major coup for the Bulls, who were seeking to rebuild the program after firing Charlie Strong. Alas, the rocket never lifted off the launch pad, and after a seemingly endless string of blowout losses, he was fired after a 4-26 record in a little less than three full seasons.
During Scott's term, the Bulls were 1-19 in the American Athletic Conference.
He would not be the first former USF coach to seek solace after being fired. When the late Chip Conner was removed as the Bulls’ head basketball coach in 1980, he left the coaching racket and became a successful and lucrative career as a real estate developer in Virginia.
Scott may find the same success. Real estate might not get the adrenaline churning like coaching did, but at least he won’t have to wonder what’s being said about him on Twitter.