Former USF football coach Jim Leavitt charged with battery, theft after alleged altercation with ex-girlfriend

Former University of South Florida football coach Jim Leavitt was arrested in Florida and faces charges including theft and battery following an alleged altercation with his ex-girlfriend. Leavitt, 68, is charged with a felony count of grand theft and two misdemeanor charges of simple battery and domestic battery. The incident reportedly involved him grabbing the woman by the arm and taking her Louis Vuitton purse, clutch, and wallet, valued over $5,000. He is also accused of pushing another man during the altercation. Leavitt was released the next day according to jail records.

Leavitt, inducted into the USF Athletic Hall of Fame this year, was the first head coach of USF's football program and is the winningest coach in its history. After being fired from USF in 2010 for allegedly striking a player, Leavitt had a brief NFL coaching stint with the San Francisco 49ers before returning to college football as a defensive coordinator at several schools. His