For years, it seemed like USF’s leadership shrugged off mediocrity. The football team was the most visible sign of that when a slow deterioration in the program turned into a 4-26 disaster under former coach Jeff Scott.
That attitude started long before Scott arrived, though. I’ll get into that in a bit.
But if you ask why USF is on an upward trajectory now, you get the same answer. The leadership in athletics is the strongest it has been since I started covering the Bulls (they were the Golden Brahmans then) for the late, great Tampa Tribune in the 1970s. This strong leadership is the driving force behind the positive changes and progress we are witnessing in USF athletics today.
It’s also why the football program – the key to any major athletic program -- just enjoyed one of the most dramatic turnarounds in the country.
But it’s not solely about football. The men’s basketball program started selling out games at the Yuengling Center and won the regular-season American Athletic Conference title – a first in school history. We never would have predicted that a year ago.
Even sports that were once written off as collateral damage were now winning. Coaches in the so-called minor sports are held to stronger accountability standards than in the past.
While many fans are familiar with Michael Kelly as the athletic director, they may not be aware of the significant impact school president Rhea Law and trustee chair Will Weatherford have had on USF’s success.
Without that triumvirate rowing in the same direction, USF wouldn’t be preparing to break ground on an on-campus football stadium. There’s a good chance the indoor practice facility, so badly needed, would still be on USF’s wish list.
They certainly wouldn’t have attracted head football coach Alex Golesh or men’s basketball coach Amir Abdur-Rahim. Those two coaches bought into the vision for USF athletics, and we’ve seen the results.
Yes, Twitter mob, Kelly is responsible for the horrific swing-and-miss on Scott’s lamentable tenure as head football coach. It's important to acknowledge the challenges and failures, as they are part of the journey. Nobody wins ‘em all. True confession: at the time, I thought was a great hire.
Oops.
A little historical perspective is required here, too, though.
Start with former USF president Judy Genshaft. She was beloved by students and deserves much credit for transforming the university from its Drive-Thru-U reputation into a prestigious academic and research institution. However, her record in athletics isn’t nearly so sparkling.
For years on her watch, Bulls’ teams were mostly underfunded compared to their rivals (looking at you, UCF). She also led the charge to keep UCF out of the Big East, thinking USF didn’t need to help a nearby rival school. The Bulls are still paying for that mistake.
Law, the current president, understands the impact athletics can have – and has had – on the university. The school is investing heavily in athletics now, and it will pay off.
Weatherford is most intriguing as the man behind the scenes. The former Speaker of the House in the Florida Legislature, Weatherford knew what USF could be rather than be satisfied with what it was. As much as any player or coach, he’ll deserve a statue outside the new stadium.
By then, there’s a decent chance USF will be invited to a power conference with more revenue. Maybe it would have happened by now if leadership had been different, but better late than never.