South Florida Bulls
Encyclopedia
The South Florida Bulls are the athletic teams for the University of South Florida
. The university competes in NCAA Division I, USF is a member of the Big East Conference
, and has been since 2005. The university currently sponsors varsity sports: baseball, men's and women's basketball, golf, football, men's and women's soccer, softball, tennis, cross country, track, volleyball, sailing.
Women's athletic teams
USF began college football
play as a 1-AA independent in 1997, moved to 1-A in 2001, then to Conference USA
in 2003, and now competes in the Big East conference (as of 2005) with its Bowl Championship Series (BCS) tie-ins.
Additionally, USF's rapid advancement to the Big East Conference and the associated gains in recruiting have been helped greatly by its facilities. The Bulls recently opened an $18 million athletic facility on campus, and the football team plays its home games in Raymond James Stadium
, also the home field of the National Football League
's Tampa Bay Buccaneers
.
On September 24, 2005, USF surprised ninth-ranked University of Louisville
for its first victory over a Big East conference foe, as well as its first victory over a ranked opponent. As a result, USF received its first-ever votes in the AP college football poll. USF went on to beat ranked opponents by defeating #7 West Virginia University
on November 25, 2006, #17 Auburn University
on September 8, 2007, #5 West Virginia
again on September 28, 2007.
On September 16, 2007, a week after defeating Auburn, USF was nationally ranked for the first time in the young program's history. The AP poll listed USF at #23, while the USA Today coaches poll had the Bulls at #24. This is an NCAA record, as USF achieved its first Top 25 ranking faster than any other Division I-A school in the modern era. Since becoming a bowl-eligible Division I-A member in 2001, the Bulls were ranked after 104 AP polls during the fourth week of their seventh season. Boise State had the previous record, getting ranked after 115 AP polls during the 13th week of its seventh year as a bowl-eligible Division I-A member. On October 14, 2007, after the AP, Coaches', and BCS rankings were released, the Bulls were ranked #2, #3, and #2 respectively, the highest ranked the school's football program has ever been. However, on Thursday October 18, the Bulls lost to the Rutgers Scarlet Knights
in a 30-27 upset in Piscataway, New Jersey. Two more losses followed in the next two games, knocking the Bulls out of the college rankings. The Bulls rebounded to finish the 2007 season 9–3, ranked #21 in the BCS standings, and played in the Brut Sun Bowl
. The Bulls, however, lost to the Oregon Ducks
by a score of 56–21 in that contest.
On October 4, 2009, the Bulls entered the rankings for the first time in the 2009-10 season at #23, after beating Syracuse
at the Carrier Dome. They then lost to highly-favored #5 Cincinnati
and USF was dropped from the top 25.
The birth of the college basketball
program at the University of South Florida was in 1971. The first game was a 74–73 victory over Stetson University
. The season ended with eight wins and 17 losses.
The men's head coach is Stan Heath
. Heath was named USF head coach on April 3, 2007 — marking the official start to a new era in the program’s history. Heath has seven years of experience coaching at the collegiate level, and has been to the NCAA tournament three times. In his first season at USF, Heath helped guide two players to Big East all-conference honors, first team selection senior Kentrell Gransberry and record-setting freshman Dominique Jones, who captured honorable mention laurels and was a unanimous pick on the All-Rookie Team. Heath, 43, arrived at USF after serving as head coach at the University of Arkansas for five seasons. While with the Razorbacks, Heath guided the program to a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances (2006, 2007) and an overall record of 82–71. UA posted 20-win campaigns in each of his final two seasons and 2006-07 was highlighted by a run to the championship game of the SEC Tournament and subsequent participation in the NCAAs. Noted players include Dominique Jones
, Chucky Atkins
and Solomon Jones
.
The women's head coach is Jose Fernandez. Fernandez arrived in Tampa, in April 2000, as an assistant women's basketball coach and was officially named head coach on Dec. 14, 2000. As head coach at USF he has guided the Bulls to an unprecedented five-straight postseason tournaments and to the cusp of bringing his program into the upper echelon of the Big East Conference. Under his tutelage, USF advanced to the program's first-ever NCAA Tournament
during the 2005-06 season, and to five seasons of .500 or better — in the past seven years — after the Bulls had recorded just three winning seasons, all 14-13 records, in the last 23 years. He has also guided USF to two 20-win campaigns — 21-11 in 2004-05 and 21-12 in 2006-07 — over the last four years. On April 4, 2009
, he led the team to their first-ever post season championship with a 75-71 win over the Kansas Jayhawks
in the WNIT.
. He is a native of Cuba who grew up in Tampa before embarking on a successful college coaching career that includes back-to-back NCAA Division II National Championships in his hometown. He returned to Tampa on June 16, 2006 to become the fifth coach in the USF baseball program's history. In two years with the Bulls, Prado has produced consecutive Big East Championship appearances, picking up a pair of wins in the post-season tournament both years. Prado has been successful at USF, leading the Bulls to back-to-back seasons with 30 plus wins. The team plays at USF Baseball Stadium
on campus.
, the 2005 NCAA South Region Coach of the Year is a native of Bay Shore, NY. Kiefer was named USF’s head coach on June 21, 2002, becoming the program’s sixth coach in its 40-year history. Since arriving in Tampa, Kiefer has compiled a 64-38-13 (.613) record in six years at USF, leading the Bulls to four seasons of 10-or-more wins and a 37-9-7 (.764) record at home. Under Kiefer, USF has faced 29 nationally ranked opponents, registering a 14-11-4 record versus the nation’s elite.
The USF men's soccer team beat St. Johns to win the Big East Conference title in 2008. They made it to the Elite Eight of the 2008 NCAA College Cup Championships, where they lost to number 1 seed Wake Forest.
The women's golf coach is Marci Kornegay. A 2001 graduate from the University of Mississippi, Kornegay was named head coach of the women's golf program in June 2007. She came to USF from the University of South Carolina, where she was an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator from July 2004 until her appointment at USF. Kornegay was a nominee for the 2006-07 NGCA Assistant Golf Coach of the Year.
the gold medalist in the first olympic women's sailing event at the 1988 Summer Olympics
in Seoul
.
The Herd of Thunder, often called HOT or the Pride of the Bay, is the athletic band of the South Florida Bulls, including the show band, pep band
, and marching band
ensembles, although it is often used to refer simply to the marching band. It was founded in 1999, two years after USF fielded its first football team.
University of South Florida
The University of South Florida, also known as USF, is a member institution of the State University System of Florida, one of the state's three flagship universities for public research, and is located in Tampa, Florida, USA...
. The university competes in NCAA Division I, USF is a member of the Big East Conference
Big East Conference
The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports...
, and has been since 2005. The university currently sponsors varsity sports: baseball, men's and women's basketball, golf, football, men's and women's soccer, softball, tennis, cross country, track, volleyball, sailing.
Sports
Men's athletic teams- BaseballBaseballBaseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
- BasketballBasketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
- Cross CountryCross country runningCross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
- FootballAmerican footballAmerican football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
- GolfGolfGolf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
- Soccer
- TennisTennisTennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
- Track & Field
Women's athletic teams
- BasketballBasketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
- Cross CountryCross country runningCross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
- GolfGolfGolf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
- SailingSailingSailing is the propulsion of a vehicle and the control of its movement with large foils called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and sometimes the keel or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to move the boat relative to its surrounding medium and...
- Soccer
- SoftballSoftballSoftball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
- TennisTennisTennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
- Track & Field
- VolleyballVolleyballVolleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
Football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
play as a 1-AA independent in 1997, moved to 1-A in 2001, then to Conference USA
Conference USA
Conference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a college athletic conference whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports...
in 2003, and now competes in the Big East conference (as of 2005) with its Bowl Championship Series (BCS) tie-ins.
Additionally, USF's rapid advancement to the Big East Conference and the associated gains in recruiting have been helped greatly by its facilities. The Bulls recently opened an $18 million athletic facility on campus, and the football team plays its home games in Raymond James Stadium
Raymond James Stadium
Raymond James Stadium, also known as the "Ray Jay", is a multi-purpose football stadium located in Tampa, Florida. It is home to the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers as well as the NCAA's South Florida Bulls football team. The stadium seats 65,857 , and it is expandable to 75,000 for special events...
, also the home field of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
's Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
.
On September 24, 2005, USF surprised ninth-ranked University of Louisville
2005 Louisville Cardinals football team
The 2005 Louisville Cardinals football team represented the University of Louisville in the 2005 college football season. The team, led by Bobby Petrino in his third year at the school, played their home games in Papa John's Cardinal Stadium...
for its first victory over a Big East conference foe, as well as its first victory over a ranked opponent. As a result, USF received its first-ever votes in the AP college football poll. USF went on to beat ranked opponents by defeating #7 West Virginia University
2006 West Virginia Mountaineers football team
The 2006 West Virginia Mountaineers football team completed the season with a 11–2 record. The Mountaineers had a regular season Big East record of 5–2.-2006 Schedule:-Rankings:- References :...
on November 25, 2006, #17 Auburn University
2007 Auburn Tigers football team
The 2007 Auburn Tigers football team represented Auburn University during the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Head coach Tommy Tuberville returned for his ninth season at Auburn, the third longest tenure among SEC head coaches in 2007. He was joined by returning offensive coordinator Al...
on September 8, 2007, #5 West Virginia
2007 West Virginia Mountaineers football team
The 2007 West Virginia Mountaineers football team began play on September 1, 2007. The team was coached by Rich Rodriguez until he announced on December 16, 2007 that he was leaving West Virginia to coach the Michigan Wolverines. The head coaching position remained vacant after his announcement,...
again on September 28, 2007.
On September 16, 2007, a week after defeating Auburn, USF was nationally ranked for the first time in the young program's history. The AP poll listed USF at #23, while the USA Today coaches poll had the Bulls at #24. This is an NCAA record, as USF achieved its first Top 25 ranking faster than any other Division I-A school in the modern era. Since becoming a bowl-eligible Division I-A member in 2001, the Bulls were ranked after 104 AP polls during the fourth week of their seventh season. Boise State had the previous record, getting ranked after 115 AP polls during the 13th week of its seventh year as a bowl-eligible Division I-A member. On October 14, 2007, after the AP, Coaches', and BCS rankings were released, the Bulls were ranked #2, #3, and #2 respectively, the highest ranked the school's football program has ever been. However, on Thursday October 18, the Bulls lost to the Rutgers Scarlet Knights
2007 Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team
For the first time in the history of Rutgers football, the team entered a season ranked - 16th in both the Associated Press and Coaches polls. The Scarlet Knights finished the season with an 8-5 record that included a 52-30 victory over the Ball State Cardinals in the 2008 International Bowl...
in a 30-27 upset in Piscataway, New Jersey. Two more losses followed in the next two games, knocking the Bulls out of the college rankings. The Bulls rebounded to finish the 2007 season 9–3, ranked #21 in the BCS standings, and played in the Brut Sun Bowl
2007 Sun Bowl
The 2007 Brut Sun Bowl, part of the 2007-08 NCAA football bowl games season, was played on December 31, 2007 at Sun Bowl Stadium on the campus of the University of Texas, El Paso between the South Florida Bulls and the Oregon Ducks....
. The Bulls, however, lost to the Oregon Ducks
2007 Oregon Ducks football team
The 2007 Oregon Ducks football team represents the University of Oregon in the college football season of 2007. The team is coached by Mike Bellotti and plays their home games at Autzen Stadium....
by a score of 56–21 in that contest.
On October 4, 2009, the Bulls entered the rankings for the first time in the 2009-10 season at #23, after beating Syracuse
2009 Syracuse Orange football team
The 2009 Syracuse Orange football team represented Syracuse University during the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Orange was coached by Doug Marrone and played its home games in the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, New York. The Orange finished the season 4–8 and 1–6 in Big East...
at the Carrier Dome. They then lost to highly-favored #5 Cincinnati
2009 Cincinnati Bearcats football team
The 2009 Cincinnati Bearcats football team represented the University of Cincinnati in the college football season of 2009–2010. The team, coached by Brian Kelly, played its home games in Nippert Stadium....
and USF was dropped from the top 25.
Basketball
College basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
program at the University of South Florida was in 1971. The first game was a 74–73 victory over Stetson University
Stetson University
Stetson University is a private university with four colleges and schools located across the I-4 corridor in Central Florida. The primary undergraduate campus is located in DeLand, Florida, USA. In the 2012 U.S...
. The season ended with eight wins and 17 losses.
The men's head coach is Stan Heath
Stan Heath
Stanley Heath, III is the head men's basketball coach at the University of South Florida Bulls...
. Heath was named USF head coach on April 3, 2007 — marking the official start to a new era in the program’s history. Heath has seven years of experience coaching at the collegiate level, and has been to the NCAA tournament three times. In his first season at USF, Heath helped guide two players to Big East all-conference honors, first team selection senior Kentrell Gransberry and record-setting freshman Dominique Jones, who captured honorable mention laurels and was a unanimous pick on the All-Rookie Team. Heath, 43, arrived at USF after serving as head coach at the University of Arkansas for five seasons. While with the Razorbacks, Heath guided the program to a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances (2006, 2007) and an overall record of 82–71. UA posted 20-win campaigns in each of his final two seasons and 2006-07 was highlighted by a run to the championship game of the SEC Tournament and subsequent participation in the NCAAs. Noted players include Dominique Jones
Dominique Jones
Dominique O'Neal Jones is an American basketball player for the Dallas Mavericks. A noted scorer in college, Jones led the Big East conference in scoring average in 2009–2010.-Freshman:...
, Chucky Atkins
Chucky Atkins
Kenneth Lavon "Chucky" Atkins is an American professional basketball player. He is currently a free agent.-Basketball career:...
and Solomon Jones
Solomon Jones (basketball)
Solomon Jones III is an American professional basketball player. He is 6'10" tall and weighs 230 lb, playing as power forward/center. He played collegiate basketball at Daytona State College , and then at University of South Florida...
.
The women's head coach is Jose Fernandez. Fernandez arrived in Tampa, in April 2000, as an assistant women's basketball coach and was officially named head coach on Dec. 14, 2000. As head coach at USF he has guided the Bulls to an unprecedented five-straight postseason tournaments and to the cusp of bringing his program into the upper echelon of the Big East Conference. Under his tutelage, USF advanced to the program's first-ever NCAA Tournament
2006 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
-Albuquerque:-Bridgeport:-San Antonio:-Cleveland Regional:-Albuquerque Regional:-Bridgeport Regional:-San Antonio Regional:-Final Four – TD Banknorth Garden :...
during the 2005-06 season, and to five seasons of .500 or better — in the past seven years — after the Bulls had recorded just three winning seasons, all 14-13 records, in the last 23 years. He has also guided USF to two 20-win campaigns — 21-11 in 2004-05 and 21-12 in 2006-07 — over the last four years. On April 4, 2009
2008-09 South Florida Bulls women's basketball team
The 2008–09 South Florida Bulls women's basketball team represented the University of South Florida in the 2008–09 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Bulls ended the season with 27 wins and the 27th win of the season for the Bulls was the best in USF history - for men or women - and the...
, he led the team to their first-ever post season championship with a 75-71 win over the Kansas Jayhawks
Kansas Jayhawks women's basketball
The Kansas Jayhawks women's basketball team represents the University of Kansas and competes in the Big 12 Conference of NCAA Division I.-History:Kansas first fielded a women's team during the 1968-1969 season...
in the WNIT.
Baseball
The head baseball coach is Lelo PradoLelo Prado
Lelo Prado is the head baseball coach at the University of South Florida. Hired in 2006, he guided the Bulls to a 36–24 record in his inaugural season. In 24 years as a collegiate coach, he has posted a 763–580–2 record. He led the Bulls to a 9–0 start in 2006, and South...
. He is a native of Cuba who grew up in Tampa before embarking on a successful college coaching career that includes back-to-back NCAA Division II National Championships in his hometown. He returned to Tampa on June 16, 2006 to become the fifth coach in the USF baseball program's history. In two years with the Bulls, Prado has produced consecutive Big East Championship appearances, picking up a pair of wins in the post-season tournament both years. Prado has been successful at USF, leading the Bulls to back-to-back seasons with 30 plus wins. The team plays at USF Baseball Stadium
USF Baseball Stadium
USF Baseball Stadium is a baseball venue located in Tampa, Florida, USA. It is home to the University of South Florida Bulls college baseball team of the Division I Big East Conference. The facility has a capacity of 3,211 spectators...
on campus.
Tennis
Men's head coach Don Barr came to USF in 1991 as an assistant coach and assumed head coaching duties in 1992. His leadership has led to the most successful seasons in the 43-year history of the Bulls program, including five conference championships and six Coach of the Year awards.Volleyball
Claire Lessinger was named the 10th head coach in USF volleyball history on March 18, 2004. Lessinger, has battled to transform the program into Big East Champion contenders, leading the Bulls to back-to-back Big East Conference Tournaments including a third place showing in 2007.Soccer
George KieferGeorge Kiefer
George Kiefer is the head mens soccer coach at USF. He was the 2005 NSCAA South Region Coach of the Year, and has led the South Florida Bulls since 2003. He has posted a 50-32-11 record as head coach there, including a 28-8-7 record at home. In 2005, South Florida won 13 games, including a division...
, the 2005 NCAA South Region Coach of the Year is a native of Bay Shore, NY. Kiefer was named USF’s head coach on June 21, 2002, becoming the program’s sixth coach in its 40-year history. Since arriving in Tampa, Kiefer has compiled a 64-38-13 (.613) record in six years at USF, leading the Bulls to four seasons of 10-or-more wins and a 37-9-7 (.764) record at home. Under Kiefer, USF has faced 29 nationally ranked opponents, registering a 14-11-4 record versus the nation’s elite.
The USF men's soccer team beat St. Johns to win the Big East Conference title in 2008. They made it to the Elite Eight of the 2008 NCAA College Cup Championships, where they lost to number 1 seed Wake Forest.
Golf
The new men's golf coach is Chris Malloy, the former assistant men's golf coach from Florida State University.The women's golf coach is Marci Kornegay. A 2001 graduate from the University of Mississippi, Kornegay was named head coach of the women's golf program in June 2007. She came to USF from the University of South Carolina, where she was an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator from July 2004 until her appointment at USF. Kornegay was a nominee for the 2006-07 NGCA Assistant Golf Coach of the Year.
Sailing
A nationally recognized women's sailing program at USF is coached by Allison JollyAllison Jolly
Allison Jolly is an American sailor and Olympic champion. Jolly began sailing at the age of 10 and attended the University of Florida where she won the National Collegiate sailing championships in 1975 and 1976. In 1976 she placed second in the European women's championship, and also took second...
the gold medalist in the first olympic women's sailing event at the 1988 Summer Olympics
1988 Summer Olympics
The 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an all international multi-sport events celebrated from September 17 to October 2, 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. They were the second summer Olympic Games to be held in Asia and the first since the 1964 Summer Olympics...
in Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
.
Band
The Herd of Thunder, often called HOT or the Pride of the Bay, is the athletic band of the South Florida Bulls, including the show band, pep band
Pep band
A pep band is an ensemble of instrumentalists who play at functions or events with the purpose of entertaining and "pepping" up a crowd. Often members of a pep band are a subset of people from a larger ensemble such as a marching band or a concert band. Pep bands are generally associated with...
, and marching band
Marching band
Marching band is a physical activity in which a group of instrumental musicians generally perform outdoors and incorporate some type of marching with their musical performance. Instrumentation typically includes brass, woodwinds, and percussion instruments...
ensembles, although it is often used to refer simply to the marching band. It was founded in 1999, two years after USF fielded its first football team.