TAMPA, Fla. — Rob Higgins stood in front of a standing-room-only crowd at USF and proudly produced a letter from his pocket he had been holding onto for 35 years. And then he hugged the man who sent it to him.
The letter was from former USF Men’s Basketball assistant coach and Bulls alum Tommy Tonelli. Dated April 24, 1990, the letter thanked Rob for his role as the team’s manager and for helping the Bulls make the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history.
“Just like everything Rob’s ever done, he does the best he can possibly do, and it always turns out great,” Tonelli said. “And I’m sure he’ll do the same in his role at USF.”
The fact that Higgins kept that letter all these years tells you everything you need about the new chief executive officer of USF Athletics. That love was on display at his introductory press conference that included fanfare, cheerleaders, Rocky the Bull and an array of Tampa Bay sports dignitaries.
“This is a celebration of appreciation,” Higgins said. “A celebration of Bull pride and a celebration of USF’s rightful place among the hierarchy of team Tampa Bay.”
The fact that Higgins doesn’t carry the athletic director title, like those who came before him, and instead is CEO of the athletics department speaks volumes about the evolution of college sports. While addressing the crowd and talking about why Higgins was their choice, USF Board of Trustees chair Will Weatherford proudly declared Higgins not only USF’s first CEO of athletics, but the nation’s first.
“Where we’re going is very different from where we’ve been,” Weatherford said. “And for us to think about what it takes to run an athletics program at a university today is completing different than what it took 10 years ago.”
Higgins is prepared to wear his green and gold heart on his sleeve and roll up those sleeves and get to work. His No. 1 focus is the student-athletes. He said he wants their experience from the moment they set foot on the USF campus until they leave to be a next-level one.
“My focus and my excitement and what our team will bring to the table is making sure we do anything and everything we can to elevate USF Athletics’ next chapter,” Higgins said.
Katherine Smith
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