While he won’t be officially introduced as South Florida’s new head coach until tomorrow at noon, Skip Holtz has finally “spoken publicly” about his new gig.
And by “spoken publicly”, we mean “comments from the coach were released by his new school.”
Although he really doesn’t say much (as expected), we know based on the response we’ve received that Holtz is a very popular choice -- regardless of how nails-on-a-chalkboard his father may be on television -- so we thought we’d throw the Bulls in the audience a bone and toss the comments out there.
Especially because of the fact that this is a very, very good hire for USF, one that should make every single school in the Big East stand up and take notice. Holtz is a helluva football coach, and he has a very solid foundation already in place thanks to the efforts of deposed coach Jim Leavitt.
That’s a very ominous combination for the rest of the conference.
So, anyway, enjoy the words of your new coach, Bulls Nation.
“I am very excited about the opportunity to become the head football coach at USF and to begin the next chapter in our lives,” Holtz said in the statement. “Our family enjoyed five wonderful years in Greenville, and we wish Chancellor Ballard, Terry Holland and the entire Pirate Nation much success as they move forward.
“This is a really special opportunity, and I am incredibly excited about joining the USF team. I appreciate the confidence that President Genshaft and Athletic Director Doug Woolard have shown in me, and I am grateful for their support. I believe there are great things on the horizon for this program. It’s obvious to everyone that Coach Leavitt has built a successful program from the very beginning. There is a solid foundation in place that we will build upon.
“My goal is to graduate our players, to foster their personal development and to establish USF as one of the premier programs in the country.
“I have heard great things about the young men in our program from a variety of people. I can’t wait to meet with each one of them and to begin working together toward a BIG EAST championship.
“I also know we have an amazing group of fans and a very passionate student body. It will take every single Bull banding together to achieve our goals, and I am truly looking forward to some special moments together.”