On December 12 , 1995 , Leavitt was hired as head coach for the new football team at the University of South Florida . Leavitt signed his first class in 1996 for the first varsity season in 1997 ; all players redshirted in 1996 . The South Florida Bulls football program began play as an independent at the NCAA Division I-AA ( now FCS ) level . After four seasons the program moved up to I-A ( now FBS ) , also as an independent . After two years as a Division I-A independent , the Bulls joined Conference USA , but stayed for only two seasons . The Bulls landed in the Big East Conference prior to the start of the 2005 season . In December 2005 , after the team 's first season as members of the Big East , Leavitt led the Bulls to their 100th game and first ever bowl game at the Meineke Car Care Bowl in Charlotte , North Carolina . One year later , Leavitt led the team to its first ever bowl win in the PapaJohns.com Bowl against the East Carolina Pirates in Birmingham , Alabama on December 23 , 2006
Big East Conference
Big East Conference (1979–2013)
Jim Leavitt