USF's Pull on Kevin Patrick Amidst Mysterious Private Business - Episode Hero Image

USF's Pull on Kevin Patrick Amidst Mysterious Private Business

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TL;DR

  • Kevin Patrick's decade in "private business" between coaching stints at USF is a notable gap, raising questions about the nature of this undisclosed work, especially given its timing around two economic collapses.
  • Despite a decorated college career at Miami, including Big East Defensive Player of the Year and a national championship, Kevin Patrick has never coached at the University of Miami, a perplexing omission.
  • Kevin Patrick's extensive history with USF, spanning multiple coaching administrations, highlights a persistent connection that only "private business" has managed to interrupt, underscoring his deep ties to the program.
  • Skip Holtz achieved significant success in spring football leagues, winning three consecutive championships with the Birmingham Stallions and boasting a 33-7 combined record over four seasons.
  • The podcast notes the unusual detail of "leftover mashed potato muffins" being featured on the Idaho Potato Bowl commission website, linking to a Thanksgiving discussion.
  • The departure of Bob Stoops from coaching is presented as significant news, with the hosts emphasizing its potential novelty to listeners.

Deep Dive

The 2025 Cure Bowl serves as a peculiar backdrop for exploring the enduring, almost magnetic, pull of the University of South Florida (USF) on its former coaching staff, particularly interim head coach Kevin Patrick. Patrick’s extensive history with USF, spanning multiple coaching eras and a mysterious decade in "private business," highlights a unique career trajectory marked by a consistent return to the institution despite opportunities elsewhere, including his own accomplished playing career at Miami.

Kevin Patrick's career demonstrates a remarkable, almost cyclical, dedication to USF. After beginning his coaching career with the nascent USF football program in the late 1990s, he took a decade-long hiatus for unspecified "private business," a period notable for its silence on official bios. This absence, however, did not diminish the university's pull, as he returned to USF under Jim Leavitt, then served under Skip Holtz, and eventually rejoined the program in 2023 under Alex Golesh. This pattern suggests an institutional gravity that draws individuals back, even those with significant achievements outside the program, such as Patrick's collegiate playing success at Miami, where he was a national championship player and Big East Defensive Player of the Year. The baffling aspect is his complete lack of coaching experience at the University of Miami, a program that, by the podcast's implication, could have benefited from his expertise. This enduring connection to USF, contrasted with his unutilized potential at Miami, underscores a fascinating career path dictated by institutional loyalty or perhaps a unique professional magnetism.

The discussion also touches upon the surprising success of Skip Holtz, Patrick's former colleague at USF, in the UFL. Holtz achieved a dominant record of 33-7 over four seasons with the Birmingham Stallions across the USFL and UFL, securing three consecutive championships. This success in a professional spring league, where he consistently outperformed expectations, contrasts sharply with his tenure at USF. The implication is that Holtz found a more effective coaching environment or a better strategic fit in the spring football leagues, where his teams achieved a level of sustained dominance not seen during his time leading the Bulls. This highlights how coaching effectiveness can be context-dependent, with different leagues and programs offering varying avenues for success.

Action Items

  • Audit Kevin Patrick's coaching history: Identify 3-5 specific roles and timelines to clarify his career path and "private business" tenure.
  • Track Skip Holtz's spring league record: Document his win-loss record and championships across USFL/UFL seasons to assess coaching success outside NCAA.
  • Measure coaching tenure at USF: Analyze the number of coaches Kevin Patrick has worked under at USF to understand program stability.
  • Investigate Kevin Patrick's college playing career: Verify his accomplishments at Miami (Big East DPOY, National Championship) and his Hall of Fame inductions.

Related Episodes

Key Quotes

"USF has a new coach incoming from Ohio State. Previous coach outgoing to Auburn. And betwixt them stands Kevin Patrick, who, who... two first names. Has a shit ton of history with USF. His first coaching job was with USF when they were just starting out as a football team at the FCS level."

This quote introduces Kevin Patrick, the interim head coach for USF, highlighting his extensive and early involvement with the USF football program. The speaker emphasizes Patrick's long-standing connection to the team, dating back to its foundational FCS level.

"After a decade of private business, which does include, I believe, two economic collapses if we're counting in the 2001 dot-com bubble and the 2007 financial crisis. That sounds like the name of a guy who would precipitate multiple financial crises."

This passage points out the unusual description of Kevin Patrick's decade-long gap in his coaching career as "private business" on his official bio. The speaker humorously speculates on the nature of this business, linking it to significant economic downturns.

"To go back to USF's interim head coach. After 10 years in private business, he returns to USF, where Jim Leavitt, the coach he started with, is still there. Jim Leavitt was at USF for fucking forever."

The speaker revisits Kevin Patrick's career trajectory, noting his return to USF after a decade away. This quote emphasizes the cyclical nature of Patrick's involvement with the USF program and his long-term association with its foundational coach, Jim Leavitt.

"But here is the baffling part. This man has spent a staggering amount of time, and I'm going to just assume all of the private business was in the state of Florida as well. He spent a ton of time in Florida. Do you know where Kevin Patrick went to college? And was a very accomplished college player in the early 1990s? Duke. Nope. Miami."

This quote expresses surprise at Kevin Patrick's college background, given his deep ties to USF. The speaker highlights that Patrick was a highly accomplished player at Miami, a rival institution, and questions why he has never coached there.

"His combined record over four seasons is 33 and 7. Didn't he also win a title in one of the other spring leagues? Something like that."

This passage discusses Skip Holtz's success in spring football leagues, specifically his coaching record with the Birmingham Stallions. The speaker notes Holtz's impressive win-loss record over four seasons, indicating significant achievement in these leagues.

Resources

External Resources

Books

  • "and other work" by Jason Kirk - Mentioned as Jason's critically praised novel and other work.

Videos & Documentaries

  • Phantom Island - Mentioned as Ryan's new show with Steven Godfrey.

Articles & Papers

  • "Channel 6" (year-round newsletter) - Mentioned as a newsletter written by Spencer and Holly that is mostly about football.

People

  • Kevin Patrick - Mentioned as USF's interim head coach with extensive history at the university.
  • Jim Leavitt - Mentioned as the coach Kevin Patrick started with at USF.
  • Mack Brown - Mentioned in relation to his UNC coaching bio.
  • Matt Grothe - Mentioned in relation to his rap career.
  • Skip Holtz - Mentioned as a former USF coach and head coach of the Birmingham Stallions.
  • Cliff Kingsbury - Mentioned as a former coach of Kevin Patrick.
  • Dave Doeren - Mentioned as a former coach of Kevin Patrick.
  • Willie Taggart - Mentioned as a former coach of Kevin Patrick at FAU.
  • Alex Golesh - Mentioned as the current coach Kevin Patrick is working with at USF.
  • Charlie Strong - Mentioned as a USF coach Kevin Patrick has not worked for.
  • Jeff Scott - Mentioned as a USF coach Kevin Patrick has not worked for.
  • Mario - Mentioned in silhouette comparison to Kevin Patrick.
  • Lou Holtz - Mentioned in comparison to Skip Holtz's coaching record.
  • Bob Stoops - Mentioned as having retired.
  • Jesse Helms - Mentioned in relation to Lou Holtz's past.

Organizations & Institutions

  • USF (University of South Florida) - Mentioned as the university where Kevin Patrick has a significant coaching history.
  • Ohio State - Mentioned as the university from which USF's new coach is incoming.
  • Auburn - Mentioned as the university to which the previous USF coach is outgoing.
  • North Texas - Mentioned as a place where Kevin Patrick coached for two seasons.
  • Texas Tech - Mentioned as a place where Kevin Patrick coached for one year.
  • FAU (Florida Atlantic University) - Mentioned as a place where Kevin Patrick coached under Willie Taggart.
  • Miami - Mentioned as the university where Kevin Patrick was an accomplished college player.
  • National Football League (NFL) - Mentioned in the context of the podcast's focus.
  • Birmingham Stallions - Mentioned as the team Skip Holtz coached in the USFL/UFL.
  • Michigan Panthers - Mentioned as the team that defeated Skip Holtz's team in the conference championship.
  • Palantir - Mentioned in relation to sponsoring a bowl game.

Websites & Online Resources

  • USF website - Mentioned for Kevin Patrick's official bio.
  • preownedairboats.com - Mentioned for purchasing PTKU merch.
  • transohio.org - Mentioned as the recipient of donations from PTKU merch sales.
  • Idaho Potato Bowl commission website - Mentioned for a recipe for leftover mashed potato muffins.
  • jasonkirk.fyi - Mentioned as the website for Jason Kirk's novel and other work.
  • falconscottproductions.com - Mentioned as the website for Ryan's new show "Phantom Island."
  • linktr.ee/killerantz - Mentioned as the link for Surber's band Killer Antz.
  • rss.com/podcasts/podcasterino-pod1/ - Mentioned as the link for Surber's new show "Podcasterino."

Podcasts & Audio

  • Shutdown Fullcast - Mentioned as the podcast name.
  • 40 For 40 - Mentioned as the bowl preview series.

Other Resources

  • PTKU merch - Mentioned as items for sale with proceeds donated to Trans Ohio.
  • Trans Ohio - Mentioned as a charitable organization receiving donations.
  • leftover mashed potato muffins - Mentioned as a recipe found on the Idaho Potato Bowl commission website.
  • private business - Mentioned as the reason for Kevin Patrick's decade-long absence from coaching.
  • dot-com bubble - Mentioned in relation to economic collapses during Kevin Patrick's private business tenure.
  • 2007 financial crisis - Mentioned in relation to economic collapses during Kevin Patrick's private business tenure.
  • USFL/UFL - Mentioned as leagues where Skip Holtz coached.

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