TAMPA, Fla. – After Alex Golesh was hired at USF in December 2022, he boasted, “This program will have an identity both offensively, defensively and with special teams.”
Check, check and check.
The 41-year-old Golesh leaves behind a program he rebuilt and engineered into one of the nation’s leading offensive machines to take over at Auburn.
The Russian-born coach, who grew up in Brooklyn and Dublin, Ohio and educated at Ohio State, took over a program lacking identity, a team that went 4-29 the previous three seasons with only one win over an FBS opponent. He left with a 23-15 mark in his first gig as a head coach after arriving from Tennessee, where he was Josh Heupel’s offensive coordinator.
Golesh drastically changed the culture by developing holdovers such as quarterback Byrum Brown, receiver Sean Atkins and linebacker Mac Harris into top-shelf performers. In Saturday evening’s 52-3 rout of Rice at Raymond James Stadium, Brown became the 12th player in FBS history to pass for 3,000 yards and rush for 1,000 yards in a season. His 347 yards per game lead the nation in total offense.
READ: USF’s Byrum Brown Joins Exclusive 3,000/1,000 Club
Golesh also did it by diligently utilizing the transfer portal to not only bring some front-line players to Tampa, but build depth and a culture. The culture piece, the largest of pieces, was noticeably enhanced by what Golesh referred to as “targeted transfers.” They were largely a group of players he and/or staff members had connections to and felt good about how they could boost the culture while plugging up the running lanes as well as scoot through them.
It was a group that included defensive back De’Shawn Rucker, defensive tackle Josh Celiscar, center Mike Lofton, receiver Chas Nimord and quarterback Gaston Moore, each of whom was with Golesh at UCF, where he was also with Heupel, or Tennessee. Or both.
Rob Higgins, hired as USF’s CEO of Athletics in September, was certainly prepared for Golesh’s departure. His countless connections throughout the collegiate landscape undoubtedly helped him in constructing a solid list of candidates to take over the Bulls.
Fans of the green and gold are sure to find out very soon who will take over the program that Golesh has left in very good shape, including a move into a new stadium 21 months from now.
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