On January 8, 2010, Leavitt was fired after an investigation by USF officials found that he had struck a player in the locker room during halftime of a game against Louisville the previous November 21. Leavitt claimed he was merely trying to console the player and never struck him. School officials found that Leavitt was not truthful about what happened, and also found that he had interfered with the investigation.[7] ESPN's Ivan Maisel reported that Leavitt's interference, which included telling several players and coaches to change their stories, was the biggest factor in the decision to fire him.[8]