TAMPA,
FLA. -- (February 6, 2007) --USF head coach Jim Leavitt pulled off two huge
recruiting coups a day ahead of national signing day when he named former
Iowa State head coach Dan McCarney and Arizona pass game coordinator Mike
Canales to the Bulls coaching staff. McCarney, who was the longest tenured
head coach in the Big 12 during his 12th season in 2006 will be
assistant head coach and defensive line coach, while Canales will coach
receivers.
Leavitt
also announced the promotion of Wally Burnham to associate head coach, in
addition to his continued role as defensive coordinator and linebackers
coach.
“I’m
absolutely ecstatic to add Dan McCarney and Mike Canales,” said Leavitt.
“Both of these guys are loaded with energy and they have a great passion
for teaching young men to play the game of football. Their beliefs are right
in line with mineand our players are going to love to learn from them.
“I’ve
known Coach McCarney since 1989 when I was a graduate assistant at Iowa. He
is absolutely the best defensive line coach I’ve ever been around, and we
are very fortunate to have him at USF.
“Mike
was with us when we started the program at USF and I’ve followed his
career and been impressed with the job he has done everywhere he has been
– both in college and with the Jets in the NFL. He’s a great coach and a
great recruiter.”
McCarney
led the Iowa State program from 1995-2006 and took the program to five Bowl
games in a six-year stretch. In the 115 years of ISU football, only 16 teams
have won seven games or more, and McCarney led five of those teams. He was
named the Big 12 Coach of the Year in 2004 when the Cyclones were the Big 12
North Co-Champions.
Prior
to Iowa State, McCarney was credited with building the powerful Wisconsin
defense as the coordinator for Barry Alvarez, when he took over that
struggling Big 10 program in 1990. In the four years prior to the arrival of
Alvarez and McCarney – as defensive coordinator – Wisconsin was 9-36. By
1993, the Badgers were Rose Bowl Champions (21-16 over UCLA) with a 10-1-1
record.
McCarney
joined Alvarez at Wisconsin from Iowa, his alma mater, where he was a
long-time assistant to Hayden Fry. He played for the Hawkeyes from 1972-74
and coached with the program from 1977-1989.
Canales
was the first-ever offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for USF,
joining Leavitt’s staff in 1996 when the program simply practiced without
any outside competition. He was the first coach to USF record-setting
quarterback Marquel Blackwell.
In
2001, Canales moved to North Carolina State, where he was quarterbacks coach
and pass game coordinator for two seasons, before accepting the receivers
coach position with Herm Edwards and the New York Jets. He remained with the
Jets for one season (2003).
At
NC State, Canales helped develop quarterback Phillip Rivers, and receiver
Jerricho Cotchery, now with the New York Jets.
For
the past three seasons (2004-06), Canales was at the University of Arizona.
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