According to media reports out of Greenville Thursday, an emotional Skip Holtz held a private meeting with the Pirates football team to share his decision to accept the South Florida coaching job.
The Daily Reflector also reported that Holtz had tears in his eye as he contended that his decision had nothing to do with what Greenville and ECU either had or didn't have to offer him and his family. But those tears apparently had dried up by the time the private jet carrying him and his family down to Tampa touched down Thursday night.
The St. Petersburg Times posted a video of Holtz stepping off the plane, and you couldn't scrub the smile off the new Bulls coach's face as he addressed a few reporters on the tarmac.
Asked by a TV reporter if accepting the USF job had been a tough decision, Holtz didn't hesitate before answering, "No, very easy decision."
Assistant sports editor Lorenzo Perez has bounced back-and-forth between The News & Observer's news and sports department several times since joining the newspaper in 1999. His latest assignment has him working with The N&O's ACC writers and online news. E-mail
Comments
Crocodile Tears
Fri, 01/15/2010 - 15:14 — YAR8packThanks for the crocodile tears, Skip. They were such consolation after the way you left less than a month before signing day. Hope you get another d-coordinator who can bail out what semblance of offense you field. Greg Hudson doesn't get nearly the credit he should for a lot of the Pirates' wins. Evidently the folks down at FSU noticed.
As crappy as it is, in order to be a successful HC, you have to be a bit of used car salesman. While making promises and statements to make your customer feel at home and cared for, you need to make sure your fingers are crossed behind you. Nothing against Skip; he didn't start that trend. However, he didn't have to take part in it. Just keep your mouth shut and leave. ECU doesn't need the "it's not you, it's me" speech.
Also. Isn't this rather lowbrow of the N&O to put this on here in this manner? Of course Skip's going to say it was a "very easy decision" to the folks at his NEW job. What was he supposed to say? Something like, oh man, I really agonized over the decision to come here. I don't think so. Stop trying to make a mountain out of a molehill.
Go get ECU a helluva coach, Terry Holland!