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Jeff Scott Officially Introduced as New USF Football Head Coach

United from Start to Finish

By Nathan Bond
Anthony Vito / The Daily Stampede

Michael Kelly and Associates got their man. Clemson Co-Offensive Coordinator Jeff Scott was introduced today as the fifth head coach in South Florida Bulls history in front of a packed house inside the Sam and Martha Gibbons Alumni Center.

“Coach [Jeff] Scott is unequivocally our first and only choice as head coach,” USF Systems President Dr. Steven Currall said in his opening statements.

Scott comes to USF after spending the last 12 years on the Clemson staff, serving as wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator, and finishing as Co-OC with Tony Elliott before coming to Tampa. Elliott was at the press conference in support of his friend as he starts this new journey.

“This is of them jobs you want,” Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney told Scott in a phone conversation last week. “[It’s] a great university. A great conference. A great location. A great recruiting base right in your backyard. You can win there.”

“I am honored and humbled to be your next head football coach,” Scott said. “This is a job I’ve had circled in my book for a long time for so many reasons.”

Reportedly, Scott was interested in the USF job in 2016 after former head coach Willie Taggart left for Oregon. Ultimately, that job went to Charlie Strong, who was fired earlier this month after losing 14 of his last 18 games as head coach.

Michael Kelly said he looked for four things in the new head coach:

  • Winning on the field and in the classroom
  • Elite recruiting skills
  • Wants to engage with the community
  • Wants to leave a legacy

The early returns on that through two days is Scott wants to be at USF, and is ready to engage the donor base that hasn’t really been tapped into, or loved in quite some time.

And he knows how to use Twitter.

Scott said he’d hire an offensive coordinator and will let them call the plays and run the offense, but will obviously have a hand in the game plan. He hasn’t decided on who will be retained from the current USF staff, but we should start to find out within the week how his staff will start to shape up.

Oh..

One last thing.

And the play: