College football: Might South Florida be on the hunt for a new coach?

Leavitt was successful. His final five seasons, 2005-09, USF went 6-6, 9-4, 9-4, 8-5 and 8-5. Only once did the Bulls finish worse than a tie for fourth in the Big East.

But Leavitt was fired for mistreatment of players. Skip Holtz was hired away from East Carolina, and it seemed like a great fit. Solid resume', a proud dad (Lou) who would talk about the program on the ESPN.

South Florida went 8-5 in 2010, with a 3-4 record in the Big East. Leavitt-type year. But USF slipped to 5-7 last season and tied for last in the Big East, with only a victory over Syracuse.

This year, South Florida is back in the Big East basement, at 0-4. The Bulls are 2-6 overall, after a series of close defeats: 23-13 to Rutgers, 31-27 to Ball State, 30-17 to Florida State, 37-28 to Temple, 27-25 to Louisville and 37-36 to Syracuse.

Saturday, USF hosts Connecticut, another winless Big East team. If the Bulls lose, a program that has known only two head coaches might wonder if it's time to go looking for a third.