Former USF coach Jim Leavitt arrested on battery and theft charges

Former USF head coach Jim Leavitt was arrested and charged with domestic battery and grand theft after a dispute with his ex-girlfriend.

Leavitt allegedly grabbed his ex-girlfriend by the arm and taking her Louis Vuitton purse, clutch and wallet, according to TMZ. The purse is said to be worth at least $5,000 but less than $10,000. In addition to grabbing the woman, he allegedly got in a physical confrontation with another man during the incident. He was charged with domestic battery and simple battery, as well as a count of grand theft, which is a felony.

As of Tuesday, Leavitt remains in custody and faces a court hearing Tuesday afternoon.

Leavitt guided USF from Division I-AA to the Big East during his tenure as coach, which ran from 1997-2009. He was fired in 2010 after being accused of striking a player at halftime of a game, as well as for interfering with the investigation into the incident. He went 95-57 overall as USF’s head coach.

Since losing his job at USF, Leavitt has worked primarily as a defensive assistant, including a prominent stint as defensive coordinator at Oregon. The 68-year-old’s last coaching job was in 2021, when he spent a year as defensive coordinator at SMU.

Notably, Leavitt is slated to be inducted into USF’s Athletic Hall of Fame on Oct. 2. It remains to be seen if that will still take place following his arrest.