Jim Leavitt, formerly the head football coach at the University of South Florida and an NFL assistant, has been arrested on charges of misdemeanor domestic battery and felony grand theft following an alleged interaction with an ex-girlfriend at a St. Petersburg, Florida apartment complex.
According to an arrest affidavit provided to Daily Mail, the 68-year-old is accused of grabbing his former by the arm and taking a Louis Vuitton purse, clutch and wallet that belonged to her. Combined, those items are valued at somewhere between $5,000 and $10,000, according to the charges.
Police say Leavitt acknowledged taking the items as the woman attempted to leave.
There is a separate affidavit in which Leavitt is also accused of pushing a man on the chest with his right hand. Leavitt, however, told officers that the man walked into his hand, but was nonetheless charged with simple battery over that allegation.
The current relationship between the parties remains unclear, but police described her as an ex-girlfriend and former co-habitant of Leavitt’s.
Leavitt is facing complaints of domestic battery, simple battery and a felony complaint of grand theft, according to online booking records.
Jim Leavitt, formerly the head coach at the University of South Florida and an assistant coach in the NFL, has been arrested on charges of misdemeanor battery and felony grand theft
Jim Leavitt directs play against the Pittsburgh Panthers at Raymond James Stadium in 2008
The first coach in South Florida Bulls history, Leavitt somehow managed to guide USF to the No. 2 ranking during the 2007 season. However his run at the Tampa school would end in 2010 after he was accused of grabbing a player by the throat and slapping him. Leavitt was also accused of interfering with a subsequent investigation.
He would later settle a wrongful termination lawsuit with the school for $2.75 million. Since then, the school has announced he would be inducted into the USF Sports Hall of Fame this fall.
Leavitt was scheduled for a hearing on Tuesday afternoon as he remained in police custody in Pinellas County.
Leavitt last coached at SMU, where he served as the defensive coordinator in 2021. Previously he served as the San Francisco 49ers linebackers coach and as DC at Oregon and Colorado.
