Report: Blue Adams, Damon Cogdell Will Not Return to USF Football Coaching Staff

Following the Tampa Bay Times report that eleven players and four assistant coaches would be released from the South Florida Bulls football program on Saturday, Joey Knight has learned that defensive ends coach Damon Cogdell and defensive backs coach Blue Adams are among the four USF assistants not expected to return next season.

Cogdell, a former Miramar High School head coach, had a two-season coaching stint (2014-15) as an assistant at his alma mater West Virginia and a short playing career in the Canadian Football League.

Adams, who spent four years playing in the NFL on four different teams, has collegiate coaching experience at Purdue, Northern Iowa and West Virginia as well as a three-year stop as a Miami Dolphins assistant.

Both coaches are Miami natives and both were hired by USF in February 2017.

After the 2018 USF defense lost four players to the NFL, the Bulls entered the Gasparilla Bowl ranked 104th nationally in total defense (441.9 ypg) and 121st against the run (244.7 ypg).

Following a 38-20 loss to Marshall, head coach Charlie Strong told the media:

“I think sometimes we get caught up in looking at it the wrong ways. We have four guys on defense on an NFL roster that are playing, if not starting. So when you lose those, and you have to go and replace them, it’s tough to replace some of those players... we’ve got to recruit.”

The Daily Stampede questioned USF about potential coaching changes following Thursday’s bowl game but we were not given an immediate answer.