Alex Golesh is leaving USF to become the new head football coach at Auburn.
After the win against Rice on Saturday night, Golesh stated that he had not pursued other jobs, but that some schools had pursued him. Golesh is replacing Hugh Freeze at Auburn and has signed a six-year contract.
Here is what Golesh said to the media following the win against Rice: “I’ve not had the opportunity to process any of it. I really haven’t. And I’ve been honest and real throughout my entire time here with you guys. I’ve been honest and real with our team the entire time I’ve been here. I told them on Wednesday, I mean, just give me some time to process everything that’s going on, because I have not had time. I have not had time with my family. I’ve not had time with my wife to process everything that’s going on. So we’re gonna take some time and process this, figure it out.”
It took Golesh less than 12 hours to talk things over with his family and decide that Auburn is the best job for his family right now.
Rob Higgins issued a statement a short while ago indicating that Golesh had accepted the job at Auburn.
Golesh was hired to replace Jeff Scott in December of 2022 after Scott racked up just four wins from 2020 to 2022.
The football program was a dumpster fire when Golesh took over, and he posted more wins in his first season than the program had in the prior three seasons combined as the Bulls went 7-5 and shutout Syracuse 45-0 in the Boca Raton Bowl.
Golesh just finished his third season at USF and has shown steady improvement each of the last three seasons. Golesh exits USF with an overall record of 23-15 with two bowl wins. Overall, he had a 12-10 record against AAC competition.
Golesh proved an excellent coach against weaker AAC competition but struggled to beat the upper-echelon teams he needed to beat to contend for a championship. The biggest flaw on Golesh’s USF resume will be his record against top-25 competition, and his 1-6 record against the big three of Navy, Memphis, and Tulane in the AAC.
USF has announced that defensive line coach Kevin Patrick will serve as interim coach for their upcoming bowl game.
Here are some names to keep in mind as USF conducts its search for a new football coach:
Jimbo Fisher– Fisher would excite the fan base, but would the results be on the field? He knows recruiting in the state of Florida from his time as head coach at Florida State. Fisher has won a national championship, which USF aspires to.
Deion Sanders– The NFL legend is a flamboyant coach who generates a lot of buzz and excitement around the program. His only problem is that his team hasn’t produced on the field. Colorado is 16-21 in the Sanders era, but finished just 3-9 this season. Recruiting is suspect.
Willie Simmons– Simmons has an impressive resume. He has turned around bottom-feeding programs and turned them into winning programs. He went 45-13 at Florida A&M the past five seasons, and this year coached FIU to a 6-5 record. He is an excellent recruiter and knows the state of Florida well for recruiting purposes.
Jon Gruden– Gruden would be the best splash hire that USF could make, but would he get the results to make this program a major player in college football? He is an excellent coach who has won at the highest level of football. Some have made the transition well. Jim Harbaugh, Pete Carroll, and Jimmy Johnson immediately come to mind. But Urban Meyer, Bill Belichick, and Tom Coughlin have all struggled in their transition to the college game.
Other head coaching names to keep in mind: Bobby Petrino, Chip Kelly, Mark Dontonio
Rob Higgins says the next coach will continue to build on what Golesh started, but didn’t finish. “Bulls Nation, our next head coach will build upon what Coach Golesh and his staff have helped start,” he said.