Charges dropped against former USF coach Jim Leavitt

A former University of Southern Florida football coach had criminal charges against him dropped on Wednesday, according to multiple reports. 

Jim Leavitt was arrested late last month by St. Petersburg Police on misdemeanor simple battery and domestic battery, and felony grand theft, but the state’s attorney’s office in Clearwater, Florida, said in a court filing that the “facts and circumstances” gave merit to closing the case, The Athletic reported. 

Leavitt, who was the first coach and the winningest in USF football program history, was arrested on Aug. 25 after he allegedly grabbed the right arm of his ex-girlfriend, Alexandra Saab, as she was trying to walk away from him, the Tampa Bay Times reported. 

The former football coach also had been accused of taking Saab’s Louis Vuitton purse, clutch and wallet and refused to return them to her. He admitted to holding onto her purse while trying to speak with her, according to an affidavit. 

Additionally, Leavitt, 68, was accused of pushing another male on the chest, though Leavitt told police that the man, identified as Robert Howard, had walked into him.

Both Saab and Howard told prosecutors that they did not want to press charges nor would would they participate in the prosecution, State Attorney Bruce Bartlett told the Tampa Bay Times. 

“They said it was a misunderstanding and things got out of hand,” Bartlett said. “They argued, tempers got flared a little bit.”

Leavitt’s attorney, Lucas Fleming, told the outlet that the former football coach was “relieved” at the decision by prosecutors and that they “appreciate the state’s quick and thoughtful consideration on this matter.”

Leavitt is slated to go into USF’s athletics Hall of Fame next month for his contributions to the football program, which include leading them to a brief No. 2 national ranking during the 2007. 

He had 95 wins as the head coach of USF, but he’s also remembered for the incident that led to his dismissal in January 2010 after an investigation found that Leavitt grabbed walk-on running back Joel Miller by the throat and slapped him during a November 2009 game against Louisville. 

Leavitt denied the claims and he and USF eventually settled a wrongful termination suit for $2.75 million.