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Jim Leavitt - Frmr DC University of Oregon & Colorado

Buffnik

Buffnik

Real name isn't Nik
Club Member
Junta Member
(Mod updating original post with coaching profile)
Leavitt,%20Jim%20-%20Headshot.jpg


Age: 61

Organization: Oregon

Current Position: Defensive Coordinator / Linebackers Coach

Former Positions:
1978–1979Missouri (GA)
1980–1981Dubuque (DC/LB)
1982Morningside (ST)
1983–1987Morningside (DC)
1988Iowa (intern)
1989Iowa (GA)
1990–1991Kansas State (LB)
1992–1995Kansas State (co-DC/LB)
1997–2009South Florida
2011–2014San Francisco 49ers (LB)
2015–2016Colorado (DC/LB)
2017–presentOregon (DC/LB)
[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Record and Awards:
Overall95–57
Bowls3–2
[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Notable Recruits:
Deommodore Lenoir - CB (4*)
Adrian Jackson - LB (4*)
Isaac Slade-Matautia - LB (4*)

Coaching Notes:






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(Original post continues below)


Can't deny his success as a HC when he was at USF.

Can't deny his success as an assistant from his days at KSU, the 49ers and even the improvement at Oregon (probably his least successful performance in his career).

Can't deny that the most enjoyable CU season since probably 2001 was with him as our Defensive Coordinator.

He wants to be a HC again. His family never moved from Boulder. He hasn't burned bridges with the AD or fans. He probably doesn't bust the budget compared to a lot of other guys we could hire. And we know there are no questions about his energy level even though he turns 62 next month.

Why not Leavitt?
 
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Even though he was already an AC here, which drew no large criticism, how much heat do you think the AD would get from the general public, Boulder community (who, as a Boulder resident, I find largely indifferent to CU football but willing to criticize if they can), and so on, given the incident in his past?

The idea that CU football could get the double whammy in the court of (uniformed) public opinion by spending a large (to the average person, particularly those who don't follow sports) sum to fire an arguably somewhat successful coach, and then hire a new HC with what we have to call at least a demerit on his record, and thereby create further antagonism between town and gown would be the main reason I wouldn't like the hire. It only takes one lame-o Kizla or DP or Daily Camera article to get many people worked up. I've never delved too deeply into the saga, so I don't know that much other than it doesn't look good with a quick read.

I really enjoyed him and his enthusiasm while he was here, and think he would do a good job. He's obviously defensively oriented, and the Pac-12 is generally considered an offensive, high scoring league, but manly folks on here seem to want the identity of CU football to be a stout O line, punishing run game, and strong defense. Perhaps that pairs best with our altitude, weather, and general disadvantage in grabbing the best skill players from USC, UCLA, Oregon, &c.

Tedford, Miles, Leavitt.... not much of youth movement? They are all lower risk than a young OC or DC, and all seem like good stabilizers to put us in that win-6-to-9-games-most-years category that we all want to be in. I suppose if RG strikes gold on a young coordinator, they'd only be here for a few years before they'd move on to bigger things (though we'd all take the success that comes between now and then). Hiring one of these older guys, they can't realistically be expected to coach longer than 5 or so years here, even if everything goes great, right?
 
Question the OP's assertion that he didn't burn bridges here. He most certainly did when he crossed the line on both recruits and taking Clark with him.
 
buffaholic said:
Question the OP's assertion that he didn't burn bridges here. He most certainly did when he crossed the line on both recruits and taking Clark with him.
Click to expand...

The recruits? Maybe.

Clark is an adult. He chose to move on. No "line" crossed.
 
Buffnik said:
I don't want a HC who is unwilling to cross your line.

Anyone CU hires better be willing to use every resource and opportunity within the rules to improve CU's program.
Click to expand...

Big time college football is murky. I’d love Winston Wolf, but Ray Donovan will do.
 
Honestly, not sure he will be able to keep his job as DC at Oregon more than a year or two. He had success as a HC at USF but their situation could not be more different than CU's. His ability to recruit was a non-starter. Much worse than HCMM, who definitely appealed to some. JL didn't seem to appeal to anyone on the recruiting trail.
 
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Nothing against him personally and there are probably worst candidates, but I am in favor of some younger coaches who are up and comers. Not in favor of Miles or Tedford either. But if we hired any of those candidates I would not be super bummed out either.
 
This is one persons perspective but I have a player who finished last year on defense on my staff at work now. He rated leavitt pretty highly and attributed any success to leavitt.

Not saying he is head coach material, but the one player I have access to enjoyed his time with leavitt and thought highly of him.
 
Mario Cristobal is a terrible head coach, and that has more than a little to do with Oregon’s struggles on defense. Cristobal is a beast on the recruiting trail, however.

No on Leavitt, nevertheless.
 
We could go with JL or we could go with a different defensive coordinator who is an ace of a recruiter, younger, dynamic personality and has some serious PAC12 ties and worked under some of the best HC's in the country most recently the best one ever!
 
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