Former Tennessee Vols offensive coordinator Alex Golesh went viral on Tuesday after making comments about playing Alabama and Miami this autumn.
Golesh, who took over as head coach at USF in late 2022 following two seasons as Tennessee’s playcaller, told reporters at the American Athletic Conference launch on Tuesday that USF is not required to play Alabama or Miami in 2024. Instead, Alabama and Miami must face the University of South Florida.
“Bama and Miami gotta play South Florida,” Golesh remarked. “I believe it is vitally necessary for us to play against the finest teams possible. I believe that playing Miami at home is extremely important for us. They did it a lot in the Big East, and they need to come play in Tampa. Going to Alabama is huge for us. They came to our place last season. We had every potential to win that game but were unable to complete it. Now we may go redeem ourselves. That is exactly what college football is, man. To me, you don’t want to go to Tuscaloosa. You don’t want to host Miami in your home? I believe it’s great. I believe that is what collegiate football is. Our guys will be more than ready to go play those games.”
Golesh will most likely face criticism from the national media for making such statement, but he should not.
Tennessee went 11-2 in 2022, defeating Alabama, Florida, and LSU, thanks in large part to Golesh’s swagger and confidence in the locker room. He wasn’t the only one with that approach on Rocky Top in 2022, but his faith in his players contributed to a climate in which Tennessee believed they would win every game (and nearly did).
Elite players feel they will win every game. And Golesh has proven to be an excellent competitor (he had to work his way up to some huge jobs in college football as a Moscow native who grew up in Brooklyn and Ohio — he’s earned everything he’s received along the way). So why would we expect him to take a different approach?
Nobody knows what will happen in USF’s games against Alabama and Miami this season. However, I would not assume that either the Crimson Tide or the Hurricanes will win easily. With Golesh at the helm, USF is a deadly opponent. And no one should be astonished if they win any of those matches.
