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[Lynch]

Leavitt picks San Fran, not Manhattan
Posted: January 19, 2011 - 3:16pmPhotos

SEPTEMBER 2009 FILE PHOTO/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Former Kansas State defensive coordinator decided to become the linebackers coach for the San Francisco 49ers instead of returning to the Wildcats.
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 By Austin Meek
THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL
How close did Jim Leavitt come to rejoining Bill Snyder's staff at Kansas State?

Close enough to discuss the possibility with Snyder, Leavitt said, but not close enough to agonize about his decision to join the San Francisco 49ers.

"Coach Snyder and I, we always talk," said Leavitt, the former South Florida coach who worked for Snyder from 1990-95. "I'm about as close to coach Snyder as you can get. The respect I have for him is unbelievable.

"We always talked about the possibility, but nothing ever official. We never talked about salaries or anything."

Leavitt officially became the 49ers linebackers coach Wednesday, ending speculation that he could return to Manhattan to coordinate K-State's leaky defense.

Leavitt described his discussions with K-State as purely hypothetical, indicating he had planned all along to join new 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh in San Francisco.

"Jim tried to hire me before," Leavitt said. "I know his dad, know his family. I gave him my word that if he had an opening, I would go with him. I am a man of my word."

Leavitt served as K-State's defensive coordinator from 1992-95, then launched South Florida's football program from scratch. The Bulls won 95 games during his 13-year tenure, but Leavitt was fired in 2010 amid allegations that he struck a player and obstructed the school's investigation.

Leavitt sued the school for wrongful termination, and he received a $2.75 million settlement last week.

Leavitt hopes to become a head coach again but said he is excited to join the NFL ranks.

"Someday I want to be a head coach, no doubt about that," Leavitt said. "That's something I'm driven in doing. With what coach Snyder taught me, I feel like I have a real handle on what it takes to be successful.

"I'm excited about the 49ers, excited about the NFL, excited about learning a whole new world. I don't have a crystal ball. All I can tell you is that I'm excited about coaching."

Leavitt's move eliminates one option, but other possibilities remain for K-State's coaching staff. Snyder has a position to fill after tight ends coach Ricky Rahne left to coach quarterbacks at Vanderbilt, and defensive changes have been rumored after the Wildcats allowed 441 yards per game this season, 106th in the Bowl Subdivision.

[cheapseats]

This lead me to believe that Snyder is thinking about replacing Cosh as the DC.  He didn't just come out and offer the job To Leavitt, spoke only hypothetically.  At this point, I think Cosh will be back.  He just better have a good idea what went wrong with this years defense and ways to correct it.

I just hope K-State doesn't hire Bennet back.  He was terrible his last two years here. 

[cf0102]

This lead me to believe that Snyder is thinking about replacing Cosh as the DC.  He didn't just come out and offer the job To Leavitt, spoke only hypothetically.  At this point, I think Cosh will be back.  He just better have a good idea what went wrong with this years defense and ways to correct it.

I just hope K-State doesn't hire Bennet back. He was terrible his last two years here.  

Not true. He was here from 1999-2001 when our defenses ranked 2nd, 4th and 3rd nationally respectively.

[cheapseats]

Sorry, you are right.  I was thinking of Bobby Elliot.

[Lynch]

CF thank you for the correction. I thought I was going out of my mind. Kept saying to myself I thought Bennet was our best DC. Would love for him to come back.

[cf0102]

Sorry, you are right.  I was thinking of Bobby Elliot.

I remember that Elliot wasn't great at the end but wasn't he our D-Coordinator when we won the Big XII?

[cyclist]

Sorry, you are right.  I was thinking of Bobby Elliot.

I remember that Elliot wasn't great at the end but wasn't he our D-Coordinator when we won the Big XII?

Yes he was, but benefitted greatly by having Bret Bielema as a co D-Coordinator...

[dobbie4ksu]

This is where I throw out my connections are hardly wrong! I advised everyone that big changes won't happen until the conclusion of the 2011-2012 season... Just saying

[Lynch]

So what will thooooose changes be

[dobbie4ksu]

Expectations are if KSU doesn't finish within the top 5 in defense inside the big 12 (10), than he will be pushing for a big change on that side of ball... And one coach will not be singled out on the defensive side, and that is all I am going to give you at this time!