USF Athletics

Dye Back With Scott to Help Bulls' 'Hungry' Receivers Reach New Heights

April 09, 2020

COACHES PROFILE SERIES: While we wait for USF football to hit the field once again, Senior Writer Tom Zebold and Voice of the Bulls Jim Louk give Bulls fans a window to know more about the people and personalities on head coach Jeff Scott's first USF staff.

The series continues with the story of Xavier Dye, USF's new wide receivers coach who played for and coached under Scott during the incredible rise of the Clemson program.

LISTEN: Dye's interview with Voice of the Bulls Jim Louk HERE.
 
PAST PROFILES:
Charlie Weis Jr. - Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach
Glenn Spencer – Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers Coach
 
By TOM ZEBOLD
USF Senior Writer
 
TAMPA, APRIL 9, 2020 – When it was time for new USF head coach Jeff Scott to assemble his on-field staff, he took a quick route to wide receivers coach Xavier Dye, and rightfully so.

Since they first linked up at a Presbyterian College camp in 2007, the two wise football minds have been strengthening a bond that goes well beyond X's and O's.

"I've went back a long way with Coach Scott. He's been awesome," Dye said. "It's an honor to be able to come down and join his staff here at South Florida."

The path to becoming "family" really started when Dye was a dependable receiver for position coach Scott at Clemson during his final three seasons as a player for the program (2008-10). Dye, a four-year letterman, was a starter in his final two seasons and later showed Scott he also could be counted on as a coach.

After the dean's list student graduated, Dye picked up valuable experience as defensive quality control coach/academic counselor for Western Carolina in 2013. The Greenwood, S.C., native then headed back to his home state to spend two successful seasons with Greenville High School as a wide receivers coach (2014) and offensive coordinator (2015).

Dye returned to Clemson as a grad assistant who worked with receivers and was again a go-to guy for Scott from 2017-18. In the super busy co-offensive coordinator/receivers coach role, Scott had a lot of responsibilities and entrusted Dye with important position tasks while Clemson captured consecutive ACC crowns.

"He let me run meetings and stuff like that, and he gave me a lot of duties to do," Dye said. "Most people, they don't really give you much when you first start. When they trust you and they believe you can get the job done, then they give you more responsibilities."

Getting the job done at Clemson was a huge deal, considering the Tigers were in the midst of their current run of five straight College Football Playoff appearances (2015-19). Clemson claimed its second national title since 2016 in Dye's final season as a grad assistant (2018) and the 31-year-old credits Scott for a "great" educational coaching experience.

"Learning from Coach Scott, this dude is so detailed and organized," Dye said. "It made me realize I need to get on my stuff, too, because I know exactly what it looks like now."

From West Virginia to Tampa
After refining his coaching craft and learning under Scott, Dye ran away with a Big 12 "breakthrough" role as the leader of West Virginia's wide receivers last season.

"Coach (Neal) Brown gave me my first opportunity as a Division I position coach. I just want to thank him for that," Dye said. "I learned a lot under him. He's a great, young head coach who is going to do well there." 

Dye delivered for Brown by developing young talent like Sam James, who led the Mountaineers with 69 receptions for 677 yards as a redshirt freshman.

Under Dye's guidance, Florida State transfer George Campbell had a career year as a redshirt senior, leading the team in touchdown receptions (7) and the Big 12 in yards per catch (24.68). Redshirt junior T.J. Simmons' skills also progressed while he set new personal bests in catches (35), receiving yards (455) and touchdowns (4).

"The guys I had there, I built such a good rapport with them," Dye said. "Whenever you build such a good rapport, it's a little bit harder to leave."

Still, Dye said heading to USF was a "pretty much a no-brainer" once he got the call to reunite with Scott.

"Nothing against West Virginia at all," he said, "but Jeff, a lot of people will see here soon that he's a guy you want to be with in the long haul."

Time to Work
Since heading south to Tampa, which is "almost like a dream location," Dye has been working hard to help USF's receivers realize their potential.

"It's my job to get them ready to play," he said. "I think these guys are gonna have a chance to be really good."

Just like his mentor Scott, Dye proudly carries the responsibility of creating a culture that inspires Bulls to be great in academics, grow as men of high character and represent the program well - inside and out.

"I want guys who want to be here, who love South Florida, and who want to get better," Dye said. "I don't need anybody who is gonna be a weak link in our chain and undermines everything we're trying to do. You want guys who have bought in and are about the right things."

So far, so good for the Bulls' pass-catchers, who have made a positive first impression on Dye in a brief amount of field time.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Dye had just one spring practice with the program. Despite that, he's pleased with what the Bulls have accomplished during offseason conditioning, mat-drill sessions and meetings.

"Once we got out to practice, you were able to see some of the guys, they do have some good size, speed and things of that nature. For the most part, the guys, they were moving around good and you can tell they're hungry for success," he said. "Those are the things that you really look for. When the guys are hungry, it's easy for them to buy in, especially once you build those relationships with them."

Until USF is allowed to return to action, Dye will continue to get to know his players virtually as a highly invested member of Scott's new staff.

"It will be fun to watch it all transpire," he said.
 
About USF Football
The USF football program first took the field in 1997 and completed its 23^rd season (20^th at the FBS level) in 2019. The Bulls have posted 15 winning seasons, earned 14 All-America selections and 29 first-team all-conference selections and has seen 30 players selected in the NFL Draft. USF has made 10 bowl games appearances (going 6-4 in those games) and posted a program record six straight appearances from 2005-2010. The Bulls most recently made four straight bowl appearances from 2015-18 and posted back-to-back 10-win seasons in 2016 and 2017, logging a program-record 11-2 mark in 2016 while finishing both seasons ranked in the Top 25. USF spent a program record 20 straight weeks ranked in the Top 25 during the 2016 and 2017 seasons and reached as high as No. 2 in the national rankings during the 2007 season.
                                                                                
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