TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – He has been the head football coach at the University of South Florida for about 14 months and, over that time period, he has been surrounded by winning teams.
“I have seen the Tampa Bay Rays in the World Series. I have seen the Lightning win the Stanley Cup. Now, I am seeing the Bucs win the Super Bowl,” said Jeff Scott on Tuesday afternoon. “It has been an incredible time to be in this area.”
Scott actually watched the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeat the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV at Raymond James Stadium. He went to the game with his wife, Sara.
“I actually got to see two games live this year,” said Scott, “the Super Bowl and, then, the one a couple of months earlier whenever they played the Chiefs there in Ray Jay as well and I think that was the last game the Bucs lost all year long. I think it could be a really good example for our team and our program.”
He mentioned the losing records from the Buccaneers past three seasons.
“I think the Bucs were 5-11, 5-11, and, then, 7-9,” said Scott. “Then, Coach Arians and his staff and, honestly, Tom Brady had a huge impact.”
However, Scott focused on a different aspect that he thought immensely affected the team.
“Obviously, Tom Brady had a huge impact as a quarterback on the field but, in my opinion,” explained Scott, “even probably a bigger impact is the attitude of belief that he brought with him down here to Tampa and just the mindset. You heard them talk about it in the postgame interviews that they truly believed that they could win the Super Bowl a couple weeks back and, just the expectations of winning and the standard of practice and those types of things, I think you are able to see that completely changed and helped the Bucs elevate themselves to a Super Bowl champion.”
Scott has concluded that that winning culture is contagious.
“I am very hopeful and optimistic,” he said, “that some of that success is going to rub off on us here at USF very soon.”