Jim Leavitt will be in the University of South Florida Athletics Hall of Fame, but the football program's first-ever head coach will not be recognized or make an appearance at the induction ceremony next month.
CEO of Athletics Rob Higgins announced the decision Friday, nine days after grand theft and battery charges against Leavitt were dropped by the Pinellas-Pasco state attorney.
In a statement, Higgins said he and Leavitt reached that decision together after "candid and productive conversations the last two days."
"USF acknowledges and appreciates the impact Coach Leavitt had on building USF football and Coach Leavitt understands the importance of USF Athletics being able to honor this year's inductees without distraction," Higgins wrote.
The statement wasn't clear about Leavitt's inclusion in the hall. However, in an email to WUSF, an athletics department spokesperson confirmed, "He was voted into the Hall of Fame and remains so."
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The hall’s 11th class also includes Amir Abdur-Rahim, the basketball head coach who died during a medical procedure 11 months ago; football’s Kawika Mitchell, baseball’s Scott Hemond and basketball’s Kitija Laksa. The ceremony is scheduled for the Tampa campus on Oct. 2.
Leavitt was arrested Aug. 2 after a domestic incident involving a former girlfriend, according to a police report. But court documents from Sept. 10 show the state attorney's office concluded “the facts and circumstances revealed do not warrant prosecution at this time.”
Leavitt started the USF football program from scratch in 1997, and he remains the Bulls’ winningest coach, with a 95-57 record over 13 seasons, five straight bowl games, three wins over top 10 opponents and 26 weeks in the AP poll. The high mark was a national No. 2 ranking in 2007.
Leavitt was fired in 2010 after a controversial locker incident in which he allegedly struck a player and interfered in the ensuing investigation. Leavitt denied the accusations, and the school in 2011 settled a lawsuit for violating his pretermination rights for $2.75 million. USF was also required to acknowledge his contributions to "building USF’s nationally respected football program.”
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The firing and acrimonious aftermath already brought out critics of the decision to vote him into the Hall of Fame. Details from the arrest created yet another controversy. According to a police affidavit, Leavitt took a Louis Vuitton purse, a clutch and wallet belonging to a former live-in girlfriend and grabbed her as she tried to leave his apartment.
On Aug. 27, an online petition seeking to stop Leavitt's induction had over 600 signatures. It says those recognized should represent the "highest standards of character" and not just athletic or coaching success.
The petition was updated Friday to say: "Not having him at the ceremony and dinner? What are you ashamed of? If you are so proud, he should be there right? MAKE THIS RIGHT. This does not make it just go away because he will not be present."
The USF Athletics Hall of Fame, which began in 2009, now includes 43 individuals – including seven head coaches – and the 1984-85 national champion women’s swim team.
