TAMPA, Fla. -- East Carolina coach Skip Holtz has been named South Florida's next football coach, FanHouse has learned.
Holtz, 45, led the Pirates to a second straight Conference USA title this season and a berth in the Liberty Bowl against Arkansas. In five seasons at East Carolina, Holtz went 38-27 and led the Pirates to bowl appearances in four seasons.
Holtz, the son of legendary college coach Lou Holtz, also served as head coach at Connecticut, then a I-AA program from 1994-1998, posting a 38-23 record.
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He becomes just the second coach in South Florida school history, replacing Jim Leavitt, who was fired Jan. 8 following an investigation initiated by a FanHouse report that Leavitt grabbed a player by the throat and struck him twice during halftime of a game Nov. 21. The investigation concluded that not only did the incident happen, but Leavitt was repeatedly dishonest with investigators.
Holtz notified ECU athletic director Terry Holland of his decision. South Florida will formally introduce Holtz at a news conference on the USF campus at noon Friday.
USF announced the hiring Thursday evening on its website.
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