14 Bulls head coaches now under contract through at least 2023; all head coaches now either hired by and/or had contracts extended by Vice President of Athletics Michael Kelly
TAMPA, January 4, 2022 – University of South Florida Vice President of Athletics Michael Kelly today announced a series of contract extensions for USF Athletics head coaches – including football coach Jeff Scott, men’s basketball coach Brian Gregory and women’s basketball coach Jose Fernandez – that fortifies the leadership of the Bulls’ sports programs for the foreseeable future.
As a result of contract extensions put in place over the last year, all head coaches of USF’s 19 sports programs have now been either hired by—and/or had their contracts extended by – Kelly, who assumed leadership of the athletic department in August of 2018.
“When I observe all of the recent turnover in college sports and the frequent turnover in USF athletics historically, it is my belief that USF’s best path forward to success is through continuity and stability in as many leadership positions as possible,” Kelly said. “Attracting and maintaining head coaches that view USF as a destination job and who are fully committed to the vision we have for the next few years is critical.
“We have been through a lot together which has made us stronger as a department and gives me confidence for the future. I believe in these head coaches and I believe in the young women and men that they have recruited to Team USF. Together, we will achieve great things.”
All USF head coaches are now under contract through at least the 2023 season, with head sailing coach Allison Jolly, in her 18th season leading the program, on an annually renewed contract.
The current contractual status of the head coaches can be found in table below:
USF HEAD COACHES – Year hired and season contracted through
Sport Coach Year Hired Season Contracted Through
Baseball Billy Mohl 2017 (June) Through 2026 season
Men’s Basketball Brian Gregory 2017 (March) Through 2025-26 season
Women’s Basketball Jose Fernandez 2000 (Nov.) Through 2026-27 season
Football Jeff Scott 2019 (Dec.) Through 2026 season
Men’s Golf Steve Bradley 2014 (July) Through 2026 season
Women’s Golf Erika Brennan 2017 (Dec.) Through 2023 season
Women’s Sailing Allison Jolly 2004 Annually renewed
Men’s Soccer Bob Butehorn 2016 (Dec.) Through 2023 season
Women’s Soccer Denise Schilte-Brown 2006 (Dec.) Through 2025 season
Women’s Softball Ken Eriksen 1997 Through 2026 season
Men’s Tennis Ashley Fisher 2016 (July) Through 2024 season
Women’s Tennis Cristina Moros 2015 (May) Through 2024 season
M&W Track & Field & XC Erik Jenkins 2019 (June) Through 2026 season
Women’s Volleyball Jolene Shepardson 2020 (Jan.) Through 2024 season
Eleven of the Bulls 14 head coaches have been at USF for at least five seasons, with six in their seventh season or longer.
Among the longest tenured Bulls coaches are softball head coach Ken Eriksen. The 2021 U.S. Olympic team head coach enters his 25th season having led the program to 15 of its 16 NCAA tournament appearances, the 2012 College World Series, four NCAA Super Regionals and seven conference championships.
Women’s basketball head coach Jose Fernandez is in his 22nd season. The winningest coach in program history recently recorded his 400th win as he has led the Bulls to 17 postseason tournament appearances, 10-straight 19-win seasons, perennial Top 25 appearances and the program’s first-ever conference regular season and tournament titles last season.
Sailing head coach Allison Jolly, an Olympic gold medalist, is in her 18th season and has led the Bulls sailors to top 10 national rankings and numerous conference championships and sailing nationals appearances.
Women’s soccer head coach Denise Schilte-Brown completed her 15th season in the fall by leading the Bulls to a conference championship for the fifth straight year and the program’s eighth NCAA Tournament appearance. The USF program had not recorded either prior to her tenure.
Men’s golf head coach Steve Bradley is in his eighth season and the five-time conference coach of the year honoree has led the Bulls to five conference titles and seven straight NCAA tournament appearances, reaching the match-play finals and finishing sixth in 2015.
Women’s tennis head coach Cristina Moros is in her seventh season leading the program and led the Bulls to a conference title in 2017, while men’s tennis head coach Ashley Fisher is in his sixth season and has led the Bulls to a pair of conference titles. Head baseball coach Billy Mohl is entering his fifth season at the helm and led the Bulls to a conference title and the teams’ first-ever NCAA Super Regional appearance last season.
Men’s basketball coach Brian Gregory is in his fifth season and led the Bulls to a program-record 24 wins and CBI Championship in 2019. Erika Brennan is in her fifth season leading the women’s golf program which has broken several program scoring records during her tenure. Bob Butehorn completed his fifth season leading the men’s soccer program last fall and led the Bulls to a 2019 NCAA appearance while having two players selected in last year’s MLS Draft. Erik Jenkins enters his third year leading the track and field and cross country programs and led the Bulls to three individual or relay conference titles and a record 11 NCAA All-America honors last year.
Jeff Scott recently completed his second year at the helm of the football program by garnering the No. 1 transfer recruiting class in the nation and just the program’s second consensus All-American while also being a driving force in new facility upgrades and the now underway construction of the Indoor Performance Facility. Jolene Shepardson returned to her alma mater to lead the volleyball program and has added depth and talent across the roster through two seasons.
About USF Athletics
USF Athletics sponsors 19 varsity men’s and women’s teams that compete in 11 different sports, 18 at the NCAA Division I level in the American Athletic Conference. The Bulls’ athletic program began in 1965. Nearly 450 student-athletes train and compete in the athletic district located on the east end of the campus in Tampa, Florida. The Bulls have claimed 26 American Athletic Conference team titles since joining the conference in 2013, including six trophies in 2020-21, and own 130 conference titles in department history. The Bulls posted a combined annual grade-point average over 3.0 for the sixth straight year in 2020-21 and have posted a program-record 13 straight semesters with a combined GPA over 3.0. USF has had nearly 450 student-athletes earn their degree since 2016-17.
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