As is ofttimes the case, it has once again paid off getting canned from a job as a college football coach.
Late Wednesday night, reports surfaced that Jim Leavitt was out as Oregon’s defensive coordinator. Early Thursday afternoon, UO announced in a press release that it has reached a mutual agreement to part ways with the coordinator, who also served as linebackers coach.
According to the release, Leavitt’s buyout will max out at $2.5 million, “which is payable over multiple years and subject to reduction based on future employment.” The school noted that the entire buyout, regardless of what is ultimately the final number, “will be funded by athletics entirely from private sources.”
While the school stated that a national search for a replacement is underway, it’s been reported that head Cristobal will stay in-house for a replacement and promote co-defensive coordinator Keith Heyward to solo coordinator.
Leavitt, who was as the head coach at South Florida from 1997-2009, has spent the past two seasons in Eugene. The Ducks finished tied for 63rd nationally in scoring defense in 2018 (27 points per game) and 77th in 2017 (28.3 ppg); the year prior to Leavitt’s arrival, they were 126th (out of 128 FBS teams at the time) at 41.4 ppg.
After his unceremonious exit from USF in January of 2010, and after being out of the college game for more than five years, Leavitt was named the defensive coordinator at Colorado in February of 2015 and spent two seasons with the Buffaloes before leaving for the Ducks. Leavitt was hired by current Florida State head coach Willie Taggart and retained when Cristobal took over.
