Jim Leavitt's first hire at the University of South Florida in December 1995, Rick Kravitz quickly developed the Bulls' defense into one of the most consistent units in college football throughout a rapid ascent into Division I-A. The defensive coordinator from the inception of USF football, Kravitz added assistant head coach to his title in 2001, the same season he switched his emphasis to the secondary after coaching the linebackers in his first four seasons.
In 1997, the program's first season ever, the Bulls ranked ninth in the nation (I-AA) in total defense, and in 1998, USF’s aggressive 4-3 defense moved all the way to number one after four weeks, and finished 11th. The storyline has been much the same even after USF’s ascent to I-A competition.
The USF defense finished 17th in the nation in each of the 2002 and 2003 seasons and ranked seventh against the run in 2002, allowing a stingy 87.18 yards per game. USF ranked 20th in scoring defense in 2002 and 25th in 2003. The unit has also proved opportunistic when it comes to turnovers, where the team had a number one national ranking in 2002 with 36 take-aways that included 22 interceptions and 14 fumble recoveries.
USF free safety J.R. Reed, a Kravitz pupil now with the Philadelphia Eagles, had a school record 18 interceptions between 2001-2003, finishing among the nation’s top 10 in that category in his junior and senior seasons.
Making the 2002 numbers all the more impressive was the fact that Kravitz had to develop a new core in the secondary, much like he successfully did with the linebackers in the program's start-up seasons. The USF secondary lost three of four starters between 2000 and 2001, but Kravitz was able to mold a new cast into a successful unit. It was a task he faced yet again in 2004 with the loss of Reed, strong safety Kevin Verpaele and cornerback Ron Hemingway, plus the unexpected absence of strong safety Johnnie Jones due to a neck injury.
Jones does return in 2005 along with Danny Verpaele, who will move from strong to free safety. Additionally, cornerbacks D’Juan Brown, Mike Jenkins and Trae Williams all return with starting experience.
Kravitz enjoys a track record of teaching young players, having helped develop an outstanding group of linebackers at USF in the program’s first four seasons when the vast majority of players were in their first or second season. Among the linebackers he developed were Jason Butler, Vassay Marc, Kawika Mitchell, Marshall Smith and Anthony Williams.
In the secondary (in addition to Reed), Kravitz coached cornerback Maurice Tucker, who signed a free agent contract with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2002.
Kravitz has been a college defensive coordinator since 1986, and he joined USF from West Alabama, where he had been the assistant head coach and defensive coordinator in 1994 and 1995, after eight years as the defensive coordinator at Florida A&M, where he coached six All-Americans and 10 players drafted into the NFL.
Prior to joining the college coaching ranks, Kravitz was a coach and teacher at two Pinellas County high schools from 1979-83.
A two-way player at Troy State, Kravitz lettered three times as a defensive end and offensive tackle between 1974-76. He was a high school teammate of USF head coach Jim Leavitt at Dixie Hollins High School in St. Petersburg, Fla, graduating in 1972, two years ahead of Leavitt.
Kravitz earned a bachelor's degree from Troy State in physical education, in 1977. While an assistant coach at FAMU, he also earned a master's degree in administration and supervision in 1987.
Born August 6, 1954, in St. Petersburg, Fla., Kravitz has a 25-year-old daughter, Kristin, who is engaged to Tampa Bay Devil Rays pitcher Doug Waechter.
