Statement from AD Doug Woolard

With the anger and criticism that continues to befall the football program, athletic director Doug Woolard issues a statement today prior to the basketball news conference.

Here is his statement: "I know Skip, his staff and the players are working diligently to get that next win, and to find sustained success. Certainy, the results, in terms of wins and losses to date, are disappointing to everyone involved with our program -- the coaches, the players, athletic administration and our passionate fans. Our expecations for this program are very high. I also know this team has a lot of football left to play and great opportunities in front of it. We're only six games into a 12-game regular season."

Woolard also addressed his decision to give Holtz an extension in June through the 2017 season, despite the Bulls losing seven of their last games and finishing 1-6 in Big East play.

"We are going to provide all the support possible for our football program, including employment contracts that reflect our commitment to success. Many factors come into play when considering contract terms, including conditions in the national coaching marketplace. In Skip's case, multiple BCS schools sought his coaching services at the end of both the 2010 and 2011 seasons. As a result, we felt it was important to maintain the stability and continuity of leadership in our football program and extended Skip's contract."

"As has been our practice in the past, we will evaluate the status of each of our 19 programs at the conclusion of their respective seasons. We'll identify where we are as a football program at that time and continue to build from there."

(Statement from USF Athletics; republished by multiple sites)

There are a few things to note here. Woolard explains the contract extension that was given to Holtz after the 5-7 last year. There were rumors that were attached to Holtz and the possibility of North Carolina or Arkansas being interested, but nothing ever came of it and Woolard inked the deal to keep Holtz here, showing stability. While I still believe that the extension came out of false information (where did these rumors come from and where they substantial) it still doesn’t justify a deal after a 5-7 (1-6) year.

The second part, which is a normal procedure for every athletic office is to “evaluate” everything at the end of the season. Could Woolard be saying that at the end of the year, if things don’t change at all, something could be done? Possibly, but we won’t know for sure until someone does something.