Leavitt fires back at Saban over comments

USF coach Jim Leavitt took particular exception Tuesday to published comments made by Alabama coach Nick Saban that suggested USF's success has been possible by signing players -- potentially six defensive starters, Saban alleged -- who couldn't qualify academically at other schools.

"Coach Saban and I, we've always had a good relationship, but to sit there and tell the world something that he doesn't know. ...What gives this guy the right to write this story?" Leavitt said after his weekly news conference.

Leavitt ran through his defensive starters, one by one, reiterating that only two players, defensive ends Jarriett Buie and Woody George, were accepted as nonqualifiers. Both are in their fourth year in the program and on course to graduate.

"I could go on and on. Out of our whole team, 110 players, we have two non-qualifiers on the team. One starts, one doesn't," he said. "Farther than that, the Big East doesn't allow non-qualifiers, the SEC, look that up, I believe they do. For a guy to make a statement like that is ... is not right. It's a knock on our program."

The SEC's policy on partial and non-qualifiers is to allow each member institution to enroll a maximum of four partial and non-qualifiers per year in all sports, with no more than two in football.

Saban made comments to the Birmingham News in Tuesday's editions. "There's a significant amount of players who don't qualify (at some schools) and they end up being pretty good players at some other schools. I think there are six guys starting on South Florida's defense who probably could have gone to Florida or Florida State but Florida and Florida State couldn't take them. And if you do a good job of recruiting that way."

Leavitt said he did not plan to speak with Saban, but felt a need to clear the air about the academic standards set by USF and the Big East and the reputation of his football program.

"I'm not down on (Saban), but whoever's giving him that information needs to get corrected. And certainly, this person, (columnist) Ray Melick, what right does he have to write an article without verifying the facts? This is why I get disturbed sometimes. Now this article goes out, and everybody throughout the region thinks it's who we are. What really bothers me is it's not right. We've done what we've done because we work extremely hard. We recruit as best we can. It's an absolute wrong thing to do."

Comments

[Joe Simmons (Slow Joe)]

My first thought about hearing Saban's comments were that Leavitt shouldn't respond at all. You know, take the high road. But he made an excellent point: when trash like that is put out in print, credibility is given to it. Some people--including recruits--will actually believe that stuff.

I think Leavitt responded appropriately.

[Rob]

Nicely done Jim.

[Mulham]

Coach Leavitt - Can you please give Saban one of your famous headbutts?

[DR]

Jim Laevitt, watch your back because Saban will be behind you his entire tenure at Alabama with his mediocre program. Saban's comments have to hurt Alabama more than anything. I wouldn't want to play for a crybaby.

[david]

Leavitt did the right thing by respectfully responding.

[Curtiss Gibson]

Even more reason to root for Auburn when they play.

[Adam]

Does Leavitt calculate every move to perfection, or is it just a natural response?

He doesn't have any new material ("they are an awfully good football team"), but he is unwaivering in his loyalty to his players, to USF, and to winning the next game on the schedule. USF had better keep him around for as long as he is willing to coach. I don't care if he gets ineffective like some coaches in the panhandle, he has already earned that respect in my book.

[Grouper]

Greg can you find out if the SEC does allow non-qualifiers? I don't really want to know about any non-qualifiers or academic issues at Alabama, Saban's players should suffer for is ignorance.

[JL]

Where else was this news? How did CJL here about this...

GA...could he be reading your blog???

:o)

[Ari]

I think he should have made it personal. He should have called Saban and idiot. He should have gone the low road. This guy is attacking everything that you have built. Dignity should be spared. Saban is a coward..

You need to file those in the press release.

[G.A.]

The SEC allows its member schools to enroll a maximum of four partial or non-qualifiers per year, including a maximum of two in football. So an SEC school could have as many as eight non-qualifiers on its roster.

[Dave]

I think that Leavitt should've held up a paper, pointed at it and yelled that the columnist must not have any children and then try in vain to make a logical statement from it, and then realizing that the diatribe has absolutely no cogent thesis, just yell really loudly for a while.

Oh wait, someone did it already? There goes my idea.

Actually, I think he responded approriately, and hopefully his retort will get equal press in the SEC, along the non-qual facts.

[Daniel]

Coach Saban you're just scared of the Bulls!!!!

[Scott]

This is just typical SEC garbage. We beat an SEC school so he can't use the old "if they played in the SEC" comment so now he is on academics.

[Amanda]

People, remember... this is Nick Saban. You know, the guy that said "I'm not going to be the Alabama coach" and then two weeks later left Miami to be Alabama's coach. The guy that left a great LSU team to dip his feet in the NFL water and realized he couldn't take all the pot smokers and criminals circulating on his team and fled back to college coaching. That guy. I wouldn't take anything he has to say about another team to heart considering his track record.

[ryan]

Saban is just upset because he couldn't cut it in the pros and Alabama still sucks. THey arent even ranked

[gatorhater]

UF's offensive playbook

http://209.200.252.69/~gnnsite2/index.php?option=com_myblog&show=Dan-Mullin-s-Playbook-Found.html&Itemid=

[Kevin]

Jim, you are an awesome coach and a great role model for aspiring coaches...You say what you need to say when you need to say them, and you always say the right things...You and your staff keep up the great work...

[Tony]

Are yo kidding me? I am a gradaute of USF and I have to say that I had requirments. Some harder than others but ase a Science major I worked hard. Saban has a lot of stress with his job, Alabama's coach is not just a coach it is a figurehead. The problem with is team is he has to talk more than thier play on the field. I would take USF head up. College athletes shouldn't be called out because they are good. Go Bulls. Piss off Nick Saban. I failed in my first job too, be a MAN and take it.

[Tony]

Are yo kidding me? I am a gradaute of USF and I have to say that I had requirments. Some harder than others but as a Science major I worked hard. Saban has a lot of stress with his job, Alabama's coach is not just a coach it is a figurehead. The problem with his team is he has to talk more than thier play on the field speakes. I would take USF head up. College athletes shouldn't be called out because they are good. Go Bulls. Piss off Nick Saban. Don't worry I failed in my first job too, be a MAN and take it.

[G.A.]

I happen to like Dan Mullen, but that "Gator offensive playbook" is funny. I'll pass the link along to our Gators writer.

Again, not to be mean, but if there's ever a time to spellcheck your comments, it's when you're a "gradaute" arguing for the tough "requirments" from your college days. Just giving you guys some grief ...

[D.T.]

Hey Greg, any chance at sending this article to Saban? I know how you love your instigator role. ha.

[Dave]

That Gators playbook seems a little intricate. Does Tebow know the difference between left and right?

(I'm just kidding around; I'm sure he's taking a class about how to tell the difference)

[Rick]

Why do we even care what Nick Satan's opinion is? He is known liar ("I will not take the Alabama job..")and a cheater (known for stealing signals in the NFL and in college). How dare the lowest piece of scum on the Earth try to take away anything from what the South Florida Bulls
have accomplished with pure hard work and dedication, not by stealing signals. Saban wishes he had half the integrity and class as Jim Leavitt. Satan needs to shut up and let his product on the football field do the talking.

[Rick]

Why do we even care what Nick Satan's opinion is? He is known liar ("I will not take the Alabama job..")and a cheater (known for stealing signals in the NFL and in college). How dare the lowest piece of scum on the Earth try to take away anything from what the South Florida Bulls
have accomplished with pure hard work and dedication, not by stealing signals. Saban wishes he had half the integrity and class as Jim Leavitt. Satan needs to shut up and let his product on the football field do the talking.

[Jim]

Saban didn't even mention partial qualifiers. His only comment was about the academic standards for enrollment. Spurrier had two players that "qualified" for the NCAA but not for South Carolina. Alabama had two players that are now at USF for the same type of thing. So Levitt may be a great coach but he's not very good at logic/arguing. He should be a politician the way he dodges the facts.

[Steven Stacy]

"What right?", he askes.
Amendment number one.
Look it up, coach.

[steve oneal]

Jim, are you talking about Mike Ford and Jamal Taylor? I believe Jamal was already at Alabama and played in spring game. He transferred to USF because his Mother is ill and got a waiver to play immediately. Nothing to do with academics. Mike Ford did not qualify initially, went to prep school and got his grades up and was accepted into Alabama, but apparently did not want to play for Saban.You can correct me if I am wrong G.A. Maybe you should be a politician the way you ignore the facts or are unaware of them.

[timbo]

Someone needs to educate Jim Leavitt, his players cannot transfer to say Notre Dame. Guess what they can transfer to USF. There is a difference, each school has there own standards on top of the NCAA standards. He does get guys that can't go to major universities.

[secorbust]

"Mike Ford did not qualify initially, went to prep school and got his grades up and was accepted into Alabama, but apparently did not want to play for Saban."

That's horse sh*t. The guy never could get his grades up high enough to get in to Alabama. I wouldn't want him cutting my grass.

[Rob]

Apparently the word for "inconvenient facts" in Alabamian is "horse sh*t".

[steve oneal]

I could be wrong, but I believe Mike Ford went to Alabama to meet Saban after he was hired and it was reported that Mike had Qualified, but decided not to accept scholarship to Alabama! GO BULLS!!!!!

[Mac]

Calm down people. Saban was merely stating a FACT: it's easier for Big East schools to get a player to qualify than those in the SEC or ACC. That's not a slam against USF or its team. Saban was disputing the mistaken perception that some people have nationally that USF's success is a fluke. It's not. USF has the players, and they obviously have a great coach. Saban was pointing out that USF has a lot of players who could have played at UF, FSU, Auburn, Alabama, or anywhere else in the SEC or ACC. Some of those players chose USF over everyone else, while others were partial qualifiers who could not get into UF, FSU, or some other place. The most amusing thing about this whole thing is that it has brought out the Dolphins fans who are still crying about Saban leaving. Get over it and enjoy your 0-16 season!

[Rob]

Hey Mac the moron, the Big East doesn't allow partial qualifiers. The SEC does.

[Ken]

I don't see how any of our lousy 1 and 2 star recruits could have received scholarships much less played at any of those revered places in the SEC or ACC. GO BULLS!

One team's coach: dedicated to the team from day one; offered "better" jobs, turned all of them down.
Second team's coach: jumps around more than a frog; anything that smells better is welcome.
Football player: who would you like to play for??????

[Mac]

Rob, please don't stoop to name-calling. The Big East DOES allow partial qualifiers. The Big East passed a rule that they will not allow them, but it has not taken effect yet, so please get your facts straight.

[Dave]

Mac, you are not stating facts. No non-quals, period. The SEC does allow them. So the main premise of your initial argument "it's easier for Big East schools to get a player to qualify than those in the SEC" is false.

I think that Ford was not qualified with the NCAA at the time of his college decision, but if you can prove that Nick Saban revoked the scholarship offer, we'll all shut up right now. But here's the thing- Saban wanted Ford and got Taylor. Taylor had personal problems (the NCAA agreed and granted the waiver) and Ford is cousins with one of our players, and immediate playing time was available- i.e., he made a logical decision.

Once a guy clears the NCAA (which rules regardless of school), why is there a problem? I have issues with the scholarship system, but right now, USF abides by all rules. Saban implied that we do not.

[g8r]

hey bulls! congratulations on making it to the big time. what does everybody think about bobby bowden's comment that usf won't be in the top 10 for long?

[VOR]

Saban's logic makes no sense.
He is basically saying the he can't compete on the field because of lax academic standards at schools like USF.

This argument would ONLY make sense if it was USF getting all the 5 STAR talent.
Just the OPPOSITE is true.

Alabama gets all the 5 STAR talent while USF makes due with its 2 STAR talent.

The fact is that Leavitt turns his "dumb" 2 STAR talent into WINNERS while Saban turns his 5 STAR talent into LOOSERS.

[Charlie]

Saban has only been coach at Alabama for 5 games, so he hasn't turned anyone into a "looser." I think you meant "loser."

Furthermore, Saban only has one five-star player on his roster at Alabama: Andre Smith. That will change.

You're right: zero

[VOR]

Charlie;
2008 commitments to date:
USF: (2)3 Star,(7)2 Star,(1)1 star.
Alabama: (11) 4 Star,(3)5 Star,(2)3 Star.

OBVIOUS advantage to Leavitt???

I'm sure Saban would be willing to trade any of these players to USF since his argument is that we somehow get the better player due to the lax academeics.

[Charlie]

VOR:

Go back to your original post:

"Alabama gets all the 5 STAR talent while USF makes due with its 2 STAR talent.

The fact is that Leavitt turns his "dumb" 2 STAR talent into WINNERS while Saban turns his 5 STAR talent into LOOSERS."

I pointed out that Alabama has one 5-star player on its *current* roster (Andre Smith). That's the same number that USF has (Mike Ford, who signed with Alabama twice but never qualified). Your comment that Saban turns 5-star talent into losers is completely off-base. From what I saw when he was at LSU, he did a great job with 4- and 5-star talent, and I look forward to him doing the same when he is able to recruit them at Alabama.

By the way, I am an Alabama graduate who lives in the Tampa Bay area, and USF is my second favorite college football team. Saban misspoke, and his comments were taken out of context. The most important thing to point out is that he didn't slam USF's academics or its players; he stated (incorrectly) that the *Big East* has lower minimum standards. He was responding to a question about the success at "non-traditional" schools. Obviously, it was not a premeditated statement. I understand that he and Coach Leavitt are pretty good friends, so hopefully they'll smooth things over after the Bulls win their BCS bowl this year. :-)

Here's a link to the entire press conference, if you're interested: http://alabama.scout.com/2/686612.html