Skip Holtz Says Farewell to East Carolina

Originally Published: Jan 14, 2010 9:6 PM CDT

Corey DeMoss
Oklahoma Sports Staff Writer

TAMPA, Florida – East Carolina head coach Skip Holtz is leaving East Carolina to become the head coach of South Florida.

Holtz, who led ECU to two consecutive Conference-USA championships, will replace Jim Leavitt as the Bulls’ new coach. Leavitt was dismissed by the school last week after an internal investigation discovered that he grabbed a player by the throat and slapped him.

Holtz led East Carolina to national prominence with wins over marquee programs Virginia Tech and West Virginia and had a record of 38-27 in five seasons. When Holtz arrived at ECU, the Pirates had lost 22 of their last 25 games. He quickly turned the program around, reaching a bowl game in his second season and winning one the next year.

East Carolina’s two conference championships under Holtz’s leadership were the first for the program since joining Conference USA in 1996.

The Pirates have been one of Tulsa’s most difficult opponents in recent years, having defeated the Golden Hurricane the last two seasons by a combined score of 71-41.