In early December, USF hired Alex Golesh as the program’s new head coach. Golesh is one of college football’s best offensive minds. The Russian-born coach built up the Volunteers’ record-setting offense as one of the nation’s best. The 38-year-old was Tennessee’s offensive coordinator where he ran an offense that ranked No. 1 nationally in scoring (47.33), yards per game (538.1), points per possession (3.24) and yards per play (7.35) during the 2022-2023 regular season.
FL Teams got the chance to sit down one-on-one with Coach Golesh for an exclusive interview.
Golesh talked about a lot, including his transition to Tampa and what Bulls fans can expect.
When asked about how he likes his new home, Golesh said that “I love being in Florida. I love Tampa. I love what this community is. I haven’t explored a whole lot other than official visits.”
The work ethic is obviously present as Golesh said that “We will (explore) here at some point after we feel like we are in a spot where we feel like we can explore.”
With worth ethic comes success. Golesh has a message for Bulls fans about what his vision is for the program: “It’s been done here before. We’ve won some marquee games. We’ve been right at the doorstep of winning championships. But it also hasn’t been done here in terms of winning a championship and having a chance to go and compete for a national championship. That’s the exciting part. We get to embrace some of the positives but also understand that we are getting to build a brand here.”
Golesh is clear about what USF’s brand is. “The brand is whatever the vision of us as a staff, as a team, as a program, as an alumni base, as a donor base, get to make it”, the 38-year-old coach said. “There’s certainly expectations in terms of what’s expected of this place. But nobody’s expectations are higher than our staff, and what we are recruiting to.”
Golesh understands that it won’t be easy. No coach can expect to come in right away and fix every problem. His message is clear, stating that “It takes a monumental effort. That’s why I’m here. That’s why I decided to take this job. It’s because of the opportunity. The opportunity to go paint it however we want to paint it. That’s one of a blue collar approach and a work ethic that’s unmatched by the entirety of our staff.”
Recruiting is the key to having success in college football nowadays. Golesh understands that thanks to his immense coaching experience, but he wants to put it to fruition. “At the end of the day, we got to recruit at a high clip… we got to put a brand out there on the football field that you got to be proud of”, he said. “I am excited to be apart of that”.
The Bulls have an all-time winning record and were atop the college football landscape in 2007. However, it has been a while since USF has given fans what they want.
USF hasn’t had a winning season since 2018. Also, the Bulls have only four wins in the last three seasons, going 1-8 in 2020, 2-10 in 2021, and 1-11 in 2022 (this past season).
With Golesh’s amazing track record, USF fans have a lot to look forward to. If the interview told you anything, it’s that Coach Golesh is ready to compete. He accepted the job for a reason: to win a national championship.
Click HERE to watch the interview.
We got the chance to speak one-on-one with one of college football's best offensive minds. Check out our interview with new USF football coach Alex Golesh (@CoachGolesh).https://t.co/tFzFVRdZch pic.twitter.com/nEmDoFiBoV
— FL Teams (@FLTeams) May 12, 2023