Who Will Replace Jeff Scott As USF Football Coach?

USF is looking for a new football coach following Sunday’s sacking of Jeff Scott. Who is next for the Bulls?

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Let’s address some realistic candidates and some long shots:

Also Read: USF Football Coach Jeff Scott Fired After Three Seasons

Jackson State coach Deion Sanders

Jackson State football coach Deion Sanders will likely have Power Five contenders. [ ROGELIO V. SOLIS | AP ]

We’re starting here because several USF fans (and at least one former player) have brought up the legend of Florida State and the NFL. He would be a dynamic recruiter and would have the expertise to make USF stand out in a pro market. He’s also 24-5 (9-0 this year) in three seasons at Jackson State. But we can’t see him leaving HBCU for anything other than a Power Five job.

Former Houston/Texas coach Tom Herman

Tom Herman flopped in Texas but won big in Houston. [ CHARLIE NEIBERGALL | AP ]

The Bulls have already failed with a former Longhorns coach (Charlie Strong), but Herman is intriguing and is said to be interested in the job. His 22-4 stint in the AAC in Houston included a Peach Bowl win over FSU. He’s serving as a CBS Sports Analyst this season.

Former USF coach Jim Leavitt

Jim Leavitt is the most successful (and most controversial) coach in Bulls history. [ Times (2002) ]

Some of the Bulls fan base will be crying out for Leavitt, who coached the program from game one until his controversial retirement after the 2009 season. He took the Bulls to five bowl games and ranked second in the country in 2007, but it’s hard to imagine USF doing this well again. He has not been a head coach since the cops fired him after concluding he had punched a player and closed the school’s investigation.

Former UCF/Nebraska coach Scott Frost

Scott Frost has turned things around at another American Athletic Conference school. [ NATI HARNIK | AP ]

Like Herman, he failed in the Power Five but dominated the AAC; Just ask the Knights what national title they claim from 2017. The idea of Frost coaching UCF’s rival is juicy.

Todd Monken, coordinator of the Georgian offensive

Todd Monken was a Bucs assistant in the Jameis Winston era who is the offensive coordinator for No. 1 Georgia. [ Times (2017) ]

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The former Bucs assistant helped the Bulldogs win it all last year, taking over as head coach from Southern Miss from 1-11 to 9-5. Would this job interest him?

Indiana coach Tom Allen

Indiana coach Tom Allen is doing a better job than USF, but his Hoosiers are having a tough season. [ DOUG MCSCHOOLER | AP ]

No, we can’t see Allen leaving a Big Ten job for the Bulls. But if things go south in Indiana — he’s 3-6 this season and 1-5 in conference — maybe he would go south to USF. He was the Bulls’ defensive coordinator in 2015 and began his Hillsborough County coaching career at the now-defunct Temple Heights Christian High School.

Oregon offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham

Kenny Dillingham of Oregon is another candidate likely to be pursued by Power Five programs. [ SEAN MEAGHER | oregonlive.com ]

The former FSU assistant is close to the state and is considered a rising star in the profession. We reckon the Arizona native is a candidate for the job with the Sun Devils, though he may have to start his career as a head coach in the Group of Five.

Florida State offensive coordinator Alex Atkins

Alex Atkins revised FSU’s historically poor offensive line. [ RYALS LEE, JR. | Courtesy of FSU athletic department ]

Like Dillingham, Atkins is a promising young assistant, cemented as the future head coach after rebuilding a historically poor offensive line. His name was mentioned in the Charlotte search, but USF would take it a step further.

Tennessee offensive coordinator Alex Golesh

Tennessee offensive coordinator Alex Golesh is a key figure in the Volunteers’ breakout season. [ WADE PAYNE | AP ]

Golesh is involved in one of the best crimes in years and helps the Volunteers break through into the season. He was also Josh Heupel’s co-offensive coordinator at UCF in 2020, so has some history in the state and with the conference.

Manny Diaz, Penn State defense coordinator

Would former Miami head coach Manny Diaz be interested in a Florida return? [ CHRIS SEWARD | AP ]

He was the architect of Miami’s elite 2017 defense but was fired after winning 21-15 in three seasons as head coach of the Hurricanes. The Miami-born FSU graduate has connections across the state. Would he generate enough buzz and wins for a Bulls program that needs both?

Former Florida coach Dan Mullen

Dan Mullen led the Florida Gators to three New Year’s Six Bowl games before being fired in Year 4. [ LUIS SANTANA | Times ]

We don’t expect Mullen to stay in his role as ESPN analyst for long. We also wonder if he has bigger jobs in his sights.

Former Memphis/Virginia Tech coach Justin Fuente

Justin Fuente, left, did well at Memphis before being fired from Virginia Tech. [ MONICA HERNDON | Times (2017) ]

Like Frost and Herman, Fuente found success in the AAC (19-6 in his last two years with a conference title) but failed in the Power Five. Unlike Frost, he has no obvious ties to Tampa or Florida.

Toledo co-offensive coordinator Robert Weiner

Former Plant High head coach Robert Weiner is knowledgeable in the field and has a knack for recruiting. [ Times ]

He coached Plant High to four state championships, so he’s well known among coaches in the area. He is in his third season with the Rockets (who finished October with one of the top 25 scorers in the country) and is considered one of the top recruiters in the Mid-American Conference. Weiner also briefly accepted a position on the USF staff in 2013 before changing his mind.

Howard trainer Larry Scott

Howard coach Larry Scott helped build USF from the ground up. [ NICK WASS | AP ]

A Sebringer native, he was a member of the Bulls’ first draft class, worked at Tampa’s Freedom High and Wharton High, and was a USF assistant from 2005-2012. He was also an assistant interim coach for the Gators and Miamis in 2015, so he’s well established in the state. But he’s only been 6-16 years old since taking over from Howard in 2020.

Ex-Florida coach Urban Meyer

Urban Meyer is now an analyst at Fox Sports, but we’re obliged to mention him as a potential managerial candidate. [ PAUL SANCYA | AP ]

A mandatory recording because we were asked about the three-time national champion. It seems very, very unlikely that the Bulls would hire him after his tumultuous tenure with the Jacksonville Jaguars, or that his ego would allow him to take the job.

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