USF says head coach Skip Holtz has 'vote of confidence'

South Florida is currently 2-4 and coming off of a 5-7 season, but head coach Skip Holtz has a "vote of confidence" from the USF brass. No, really: Holtz received a contract extension after the 2011 season, according to the Tampa Tribune:

The contract extension, which runs through the 2017 season and elevates Holtz's annual salary to $2 million, would require a $2.5 million buyout if USF terminates him after this season.

Remember that when reading the official statement from USF A.D. Doug Woolard on Tuesday, which -- ostensibly, as these these comments are always are -- was genuinely meant to calm the waters among fans angry about the lackluster run Holtz's Bulls have been on:

I know Skip, his staff and the players are working diligently to get that next win and to find sustained success. Certainly, the results, in terms of wins and losses to date, are disappointing to everyone involved with our program -- the coaches, players, athletic administration and our passionate fans. Our expectations for this program are very high. I also know this team has a lot of football left to play and great opportunities in front of it. We're only six games into a 12 game regular season.

We are going to provide all the support possible for our football program, including employment contracts that reflect our commitment to success. Many factors come into play when considering contract terms, including conditions in the national coaching marketplace. In Skip's case, multiple BCS schools sought his coaching services at the end of both the '10 and '11 seasons. As a result, we felt it was important to maintain the stability of leadership in our football program and extended Skip's contract. As has been our practice in the past, we will evaluate the status of each or our 19 programs at the conclusion of their respective seasons. We'll identify where we are as a football program at that time and continue to build from there.

Woolard's words would seem genuine (and the bit about Holtz being an in-demand coach was for a time very true), but USF has lost to Big East newcomer Temple and Ball State (the first non-BCS loss for USF since joining the Big East), with a trip to undefeated Louisville on tap after this week's bye.

In other words, these words might be referenced again in mid-December, as comments like these often are.

This story originally appeared at SB Nation.