Football completes coaching staff

Charlie Strong announced this week that the vacancies on his coaching staff have been filled. ORACLE PHOTO/BRIAN HATTAB

USF football announced Tuesday its coaching staff has been filled.

Jeremy Darveau, who was on new offensive coordinator Kerwin Bell’s coaching staff at Division II Valdosta State in 2018, joins USF as its new offensive lines coach.

Bryan Hill, who previously served as a defensive quality control position for USF, was promoted to safeties coach. Steve Ellis, who was cornerbacks coach at Middle Tennessee State, joins as defensive backs coach.

Joining them is Paul Spicer, who previously served as assistant defensive line coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, joins USF as defensive line coach.

Rounding out the changes is the promotion of Albert Boone to director of football operations. Boone previously served as director of on campus recruiting.

“I feel very good about our coaching staff and the energy and ability they will bring to our program as we head into the 2019 season,” coach Charlie Strong said in a statement. “I expect our new coaches will connect very quickly and very well with our players, bring their own perspectives and ideas and will help us excel on the field and in recruiting. We are very excited for this upcoming season and are going to work.”

 

Football announces date of spring game

 

USF football announced Wednesday the date and time of its annual spring game.

The Bulls will give fans their first look at new offensive coordinator Kerwin Bell’s offense on April 13.

Bell, who led Division II Valdosta State to a national championship in 2018, was announced as offensive coordinator on Jan. 10, replacing Sterlin Gilbert, who took the head coach position at FCS McNeese State.

For the fifth-straight season, the game will be held on campus at Corbett Soccer Stadium.

If the game follows the same format as last season, USF will be split into offensive and defensive units, with the defense earning points for three-and-outs, sacks and other defensive milestones.

The spring game will be the last of USF’s scheduled 15 spring practices, which begin on March 19.

The game is scheduled to kickoff at 1 p.m. with a street-festival preceding the game itself starting at 11 a.m.

Admission is free.

 

Men’s basketball loses to No. 9 Houston

 

USF men’s basketball fell to No. 9 Houston 71-59 on Saturday in Houston.

Sophomore David Collins led all Bulls in scoring with 12 points while freshman Michael Durr collected nine rebounds. Durr’s rebounding effort moved him to eighth on USF’s all-time freshman single-season rebounding list.

As a team, USF shot 31 percent from the field against the nation’s fifth-best scoring defense. However, USF’s top scorers Collins and junior Laquincy Rideau combined to shoot 2-of-24 from the field.

The defeat gives USF its third-straight conference loss as it heads home to face UCF on Wednesday. The Knights handed the Bulls their first loss in the current conference losing streak, a 78-65 UCF victory on Feb. 13 at CFE Arena.