TAMPA ? University of South Florida head coach Jim Leavitt will be honored by his alma mater, the University of Missouri, for his contribution to the field of education on April 18.
Leavitt is receiving the Citation of Merit for Outstanding Achievement and Meritorious Service from the Missouri College of Education.
“I'm humbled by this recognition,” said Leavitt. “I was fortunate to attend and receive an education at Missouri. I can't say enough about the influence it had on my life. I'm just a football coach who never envisioned being in a position to receive an honor from a prestigious and historic institution like the University of Missouri.”
The 2009 College of Education Recognition Awards Banquet honors faculty, staff, students and alumni who have achieved levels of Excellence in Education. The MU College of Education Alumni Awards recognize the achievements of alum and of those who have made outstanding contributions to the college's professional concerns, goals and objectives or have made outstanding contributions to another profession after receiving their degree from the college.
Since 1957, when the first award was given, Mizzou's College of Education honors these outstanding individuals by sponsoring a banquet where recipients are formally recognized.
The College of Education focuses attention on these outstanding persons and their accomplishments and the contributions these individuals have made or are making on the field of education or society in general.
The 41st Annual Recognition Awards Banquet will be held April 18th at The Donald Reynolds Alumni Center on campus of the University of Missouri in Columbia.
The Outstanding Achievement Award, Citation of Merit for Outstanding Achievement and Meritorious Service, is based on the following criteria:
? Must have demonstrated outstanding achievement and meritorious service to professions served by the College of Education.
? Must be an alumnus/alumnae or faculty/staff member of the MU College of Education.
In conjunction with his trip to north, Leavitt will also attend the Tigers' annual Spring Game and meet with close colleague and Mizzou head coach Gary Pinkel.
Coach Leavitt has a bachelor's degree in education (1978) and a master's degree in counseling (1979) from Missouri. He was a member of the Dean's list and the QEBH National Honor Society for outstanding achievement in academic and athletic performance.
In the athletic realm, Leavitt earned four letters (1974-77) in football and three letters in baseball. He was a second team All-Big 8 performer in 1977 when he lead the team in tackles and was also the school's defensive back of the year. On the diamond, Leavitt was the 1976 BIG 8 batting champion and an All-Big 8 Tournament performer.
