The University of South Florida has decided to part ways with Head Football Coach Jeff Scott after a 54-28 thrashing from Temple Saturday afternoon. This was the seventh consecutive loss for the Bulls, and the program is practically at rock bottom.
Scott’s 1-26 record against FBS schools has haunted USF fans over his tenure. The team has struggled about every way you can imagine, and this year was no different. In 2019, Scott was a heralded coaching prospect coming from a Clemson dynasty that had won two National Championships in four years. At USF, Scott could never quite put the pieces together.
In such a talent rich state, with a seemingly competent staff, how did it go so wrong?
Transfer Troubles
Not much stock should be put into the performance of a first year head coach, and with the absurdity that Covid-19 threw into the fold, Scott is certainly given a pass for that year’s 1-8 finish.
With that aside, in the last two years Scott has had a chance to bring in a transfer quarterback that could right the ship and play consistently (not even well – just consistent), but none of them ever truly took USF’s offense to another level with their play.
Cade Fortin looked to be the man in 2020, but injuries shortened his season, limiting him to just two games. In 2021, he competed with Miami transfer Jarren Williams for the starting job and initially won, only to be replaced by freshman Timmy McClain after the third game. McClain showed promise during the ‘21 season, but the coaching staff did not handle the quarterback competition very well, causing him to transfer to rival UCF after Gerry Bohanan was named the starter in 2022.
In 2021, Gerry Bohanon led the Baylor Bears to one of their better seasons since Robert Griffin III played in Waco. Bohanon had the frame and running ability to make any defensive coordinator nervous. This year as a Bull, the passing was just not consistent enough to play winning football offensively. Bohanon struggled with turnovers, wrong reads, and was also hurt by some subpar WR play early in the season. Ultimately, Bohanon didn’t start looking like his Baylor self until the game he was eventually injured in, against Tulane on October 15th.
The quarterback is the most important position on the field for a reason, and Scott never really seemed all too confident in any of his passers during his tenure. Whatever coach takes over next must find “The Guy” at QB if USF is expected to be competitive again.
Recruiting Woes
Florida, Texas and California have long been the three states that are considered to have the best high school football talent in the nation, and you will often find very successful college football programs in these states because of that talent. At USF, much of the local talent has escaped the Bulls roster. Although Jeff Scott didn’t have much of an issue claiming transfers (36th ranked class in 2021), he did run into some issues with the high schoolers (91st ranked class). USF is never going to compete in recruiting with the Power 5 programs in the state of Florida, but having a class ranked that low with the talent in the state is, well, inexcusable.
Scott struggled to turn USF into a place that young recruits wanted to be; the energy around the program never developed as it should have. For the Bulls to have success they must be able to lure the local talent. This starts with where the program is as a whole, not just what is put onto the field. There are certainly ways to overcome the fact that USF is behind on facilities and wins, and other schools have just done a much better job with the image of their programs. This includes uniforms, amenities, social media, and other areas of student life. Prospects no longer only choose schools based on the play on the field, and the Bulls and their boosters have to recognize this fact (NIL anyone?).
Swiss Cheese Defense
In 2021, USF gave up an average of 34.7 points per game, good for 117th in the nation. This year, it’s actually gotten much worse, as the Bulls have allowed 39.8 points per game.
We all knew that Jeff Scott was an offensive head coach, but his inability to hire a solid defensive coordinator was one issue he could not overcome. The offense has had some serious fun flashes in the last two years, but the same cannot be said for the defense. The DB’s have looked lost and the Front 7 has struggled to get a push over the last two seasons. The Bulls have been a sieve defensively, so it’s more than fair that Defensive Coordinator Bob Shoop was not retained for the 2023 season. The AAC is losing some tough competitors (Houston, Cinci, UCF) so hopefully the Bulls will have a much better effort in 2023.
Moving Forward
This Head Coaching hire is the most important in USF History, and the school must leave no stone unturned as there is no clear cut candidate that has emerged. There is really nowhere to go but up for this program, and the pieces are in place for USF to be a very good group of 5 team, but that is contingent on the improvement, support, and funding of the program. Now that the school finally is completing an Indoor Practice Facility, minds move towards the possibility of an On-Campus Stadium. Big steps lie ahead for the Bulls, and it’s going to take a lot of work and time to get where this program needs to be.
Final Jeff Scott Thoughts
Scott was an outstanding human being who was supported greatly by the players, coaches, and faculty. He always said and did the right thing, and we wish him great success in the future.