As expected, Coach Alex Golesh is leaving South Florida after three years and moving up to the Southeastern Conference.
The unexpected? He’s accepted the opening at Auburn and not Arkansas.
Golesh was hired as the Tigers' 33rd head coach on Sunday morning, Athletic Director John Cohen said. According to the Associated Press, Golesh signed a six-year contract to replace Hugh Freeze, who was fired in early November.
He leaves USF in far better shape than when he arrived in 2023. Prior to his arrival in Tampa, the Bulls had won just four games over the prior three seasons. Over his tenure, USF went 23-15, with two bowl victories. The Bulls just finished the regular season 9-3 (6-2 in the American Conference) with a third bowl bid coming.
Kevin Patrick, the Bulls' defensive line coach, was named interim coach for the bowl game.
In a social media post, USF Athletics CEO Rob Higgins said Golesh informed the team of his decision Sunday morning.
Coach Golesh just informed our team that he has accepted the head coaching position at Auburn. Let me be the first to say we are truly excited for Alex, Alexis & their kids! We love Coach Golesh and are beyond grateful for what he has done for our program. Rest assured, we did…
— Rob Higgins (@RHiggins_USF) November 30, 2025
"Let me be the first to say we are truly excited for Alex, Alexis & their kids! We love Coach Golesh and are beyond grateful for what he has done for our program," Higgins wrote. "Rest assured, we did everything within reason over the last few months to try and keep them here. We will be cheering them on always!"
Higgins said the search for a new coach was underway.
"Bulls Nation, our next head coach will build upon what Coach Golesh and his staff have helped start. We will all help take our USF Football program to championship heights as quickly as possible together!" he wrote. "... This is the best college football coaching job in the country! We thankfully don’t have to get ready right now, because we have always stayed ready for every scenario including this one. This new chapter will be our best chapter."
Golesh opted for Auburn after at least two media outlets in Arkansas reported last week that Golesh had accepted an offer to coach the Razorbacks.
On Saturday night, following the Bulls’ season-ending 52-3 win over Rice, Golesh said he told his players the reports were not true, although Higgins acknowledged the coach had been offered “outside opportunities.”
"I told our team ... when all that stuff came out, that all I ask is for an opportunity to finish the season the right way, finish the season in a first-class manner ... and then give me the time to sit down with my family and figure this whole thing out.”
Golesh becomes Auburn’s fourth football coach in seven seasons. The Tigers fired Gus Malzahn in 2020, Brysan Harsin in 2022 and now Freeze in 2025. Together, the school will end up paying $52.5 million in buyout fees.
Golesh was expected in Auburn on Sunday to begin assessing the program and preparing for this week's early signing period. A news conference has been scheduled for Monday afternoon at Jordan-Hare Stadium for Golesh's official introduction.
ALSO READ: USF coach Golesh offered 'outside opportunities.' Is he headed to Arkansas?
“He has produced wins and record-setting results throughout his entire career, including over the last three seasons at USF,” Cohen said in a statement. “Alex is known nationally for his player development prowess, ability to shape creative and explosive offenses, and his relentless approach to building winning programs. I was also struck by his coaching experience on both sides of the ball.
“In our conversations, he showed the determination and edge that this program demands of its head coach. I want to welcome Alex, his wife Alexis and children Corbin and Barrett to the Auburn Family.”
Freeze, who lost 12 of his last 15 SEC games, is still owed $15.8 million, with no mitigation, from a six-year, $39 million deal he signed to replace Harsin in 2022. Freeze got the boot at 15-19 overall and 6-16 in the conference.
