USF fills out defensive coaching staff while two players head to the Transfer Portal

Friday was a day of arrivals and departures for USF football as the off-season kicks into high gear.

Tim Beck and Mike Hartline are arriving -- Beck, officially announced as the offensive coordinator, and Hartline as the quarterbacks coach. And yes, Hartline is the brother of new USF head coach Brian Hartline.

Also, USF filled out its primary defensive staff by hiring Danny Verpaele, who played safety for the Bulls from 2004-08, to coach the South Florida safeties after three seasons in the same role at Army. Terry Bradden will coach defensive lineman afer a season at Nebraska and eight seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Current South Florida assistants Chad Creamer and James Rowe will stay on with the new staff. Creamer will retain his role as special teams coordinator/outside linebackers coach, while Rowe will lead the Bulls' cornerbacks.

On the other side, wide receiver Chas Nimrod and return specialist Alvon Isaac signaled their intention to depart via the Transfer Portal. The portal officially opens on January 2. There was no immediate word from quarterback Byrum Brown on his future plans. Brian Hartline reportedly has been speaking with Brown about staying at USF.

Beck, whose hiring was forecast a few days ago, comes to USF after three seasons as the head coach at Coastal Carolina. He has a combined 12 seasons serving as offensive coordinator at Nebraska (2011-14), Ohio State (2015-16), Texas (2017-19) and North Carolina State (2020-22).

He has a long history of directing powerful offenses, including a 23-2 record over two seasons at Ohio State. His 2016 offense ranked No. 13 in scoring, and quarterback J.T. Barrett was named the Big Ten MVP as he posted 3,400 total yards and 33 touchdowns.

Hartline was a three-year starting quarterback at Kentucky. He coached for two years, moved on to Cincinnati, became the offensive coordinator at Division II Ohio Dominican for three seasons. He also spent a year at Auburn, then Charlotte, before joining Beck at at Coastal Carolina.

"Mike has played the quarterback position at a very high level and has coached several outstanding quarterbacks across seven stops in his 10-year coaching career," Brian Hartline said. "He brings a deep familiarity with the offense Coach Beck and I want to run and will be exceptional in developing our players to excel in it."

Nimrod was starting to make a significant impact at USF after transferring from Tennessee before suffering an injury against North Texa midway through the season. He did not play again for the Bulls.

Isaac doubled as running back and kick returner. He finished with 73 carries for 350 yards. He also caught 12 passes for 120 yards. He averaged 22 yards on kickoff returns and had 126 yards on six punt returns, including 110 yards on five returns against South Carolina State.