What's next for USF after historic season, Golesh departure
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CEO of athletics Rob Higgins and Alex Golesh after USF's win against Rice. Photo: Julio Aguilar/Getty Images
Not long after USF finished its regular season on Saturday came an announcement: Head coach Alex Golesh is out, and the program's future rests in someone else's hands.
Why it matters: Before Golesh, the Bulls won only two regular-season games in two years. With him, USF posted three winning seasons, becoming a ranked team and, briefly, a College Football Playoff contender.
- Now, with Golesh leaving to coach the Auburn Tigers, fans are left to wonder what comes next.
The big picture: USF had its best season in seven years, with a 9-3 record, and continued to prove analysts (and simulations) wrong, with back-to-back upsets against Boise State and Florida.
- It appeared in the AP Top 25 multiple times and even snuck into the playoff rankings. That all would have sounded implausible to even the most ardent fans a few years ago.
- USF had its share of blunders, too; losses to Memphis and Navy dashed its playoff hopes. But even so, fans had little to complain about and much to be hopeful for.
Yes, but: One of the team's strongest points during preseason was "continuity," with a veteran quarterback, an ambitious coach and no shortage of battle-tested talent.
- Now that Golesh is gone and quarterback Byrum Brown has earned national attention, the question arises: Who else might leave?
- Players are allowed to seek transfers to other schools starting Jan. 2, and it's become commonplace for a wave of departures to follow a head coaching change.
- More importantly, who is coming? The Tampa Bay Times floated former FSU coach Jimbo Fisher and former Bucs coach Jon Gruden as potential candidates to replace Golesh.
Driving the news: This uncertainty comes amid a major investment in the program, with only one season remaining before the Bulls leave Raymond James Stadium for a new on-campus stadium.
- This is a watershed moment for the long-suffering program, and another season like this year's could help drum up the interest needed to fill that swanky, expensive stadium.