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Golesh says Arkansas report about candidacy 'untrue' as USF's season ends

Bulls' coach claims report linking him to Razorbacks' open job are inaccurate as coaching carousel ramps up
Jacob Davis|
South Florida Bulls coach Alex Golesh looks on the field during the second half against the Navy Midshipmen at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Navy Midshipmen defeated South Florida Bulls 41-28.
South Florida Bulls coach Alex Golesh looks on the field during the second half against the Navy Midshipmen at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Navy Midshipmen defeated South Florida Bulls 41-28. | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

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Arkansas Razorbacks

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Things appear to be coming to a close over the next few hours as dominoes begin to fall across the coaching carousel.

Arkansas along with LSU, Auburn and Florida are more than likely waiting on the decision of Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin before things ultimately fall in place.

There was a report Wednesday by 103.7 The Buzz's Trey Schapp that there was an agreement in place for the Razorbacks to hire USF third-year coach Alex Golesh. However, things didn't accelerate with the USF camp saying the report was untrue.

Golesh doubled up on the report Saturday after his team's victory over Rice, securing the school.'s first nine-win season since 2017.

"I didn't put [the report] out, and it wasn't true."

He claimed that Schapp's report was untrue, but asked for some time to process what’s next for him and his family.

“I’ve not had time with my family to process everything that’s going on,” Golesh continued. “So, we’re gonna take some time to process this and figure it out. The administration here has committed in such a huge way to having our staff be here and continuing to build. But I think in all fairness to me and in all fairness to everybody that’s been here with me, I need some time to process it. I will, and I’m gonna make the best decision for the entirety of our organization.”

“Make the best decision for everybody that came here three years ago and have stuck with me, this team, with us. But I’ve not had time to process it. I really haven’t, and I owe it to the entire University [of South Florida] to process it the right way and think about everybody involved. I think if it was just going to be about me, I would’ve already processed it and thought about it. I’ve not spent the time that I need and that’s all I ask is that I get some time to figure this whole thing out. The first people that will know will be our players.”

It seems like his longwinded response doesn't dismiss opportunities at the Power Four level going into the offseason. His Bulls team will not play in the conference championship game which likely will accelerate his move should he be hired elsewhere.

Golesh has been linked to jobs across the SEC landscape such as Florida, Auburn, and Ole Miss should Kiffin leave for LSU soon. Most coaches will deny reports in public settings, but his candidacy is real even if things were put out a bit prematurely.

Golesh Profile

His career includes roles alongside several prominent coaches such as Jim Tressel, Mike Gundy, Tim Beckman, Matt Campbell and Josh Heupel. With the Volunteers, he helped engineer Tennessee’s resurgence through a tempo-driven system that ranked among the nation’s most efficient attacks.

Although he wasn't the play caller during Tennessee's run in 2022, he was instrumental as offensive coordinator and developer of quarterback Hendon Hooker while the Volunteers won 11 games with a victory over Clemson in the Orange Bowl.

During his first season at the helm of South Florida in 2023, Golesh took a program that finished 1–11 the year before and improved it to 7–6, one of the strongest turnarounds in the American Conference history.

USF does have a pair of victories over Top 25 opponents this season against Boise State and Florida, but neither team held up its end of the deal as impressive victories two months later. The Bulls are also North Texas' lone blemish on its resume, notching a dominant 63-36 road victory last month.

Though the Bulls fell out of playoff contention after a loss at Memphis, Golesh has performed an impressive turnaround in Tampa Bay. Should he be hired as the next Razorbacks coach, the program will be left in much better shape than when he inherited ahead of the 2023 season.

RECORD: 23-15 overall (14-10), 2025: 9-3 (6-2)

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Jacob Davis
JACOB DAVIS

Jacob Davis is a reporter for Arkansas Razorbacks on SI, with a decade of experience covering high school and transfer portal recruiting. He has previously worked at Rivals, Saturday Down South, SB Nation and hosted podcasts with Bleav Podcast Network where his show was a finalist for podcast of the year. Native of El Dorado, he currently resides in Central Arkansas with his wife and daughter.