Arkansas has made its move, and the Razorbacks’ next head coach is Alex Golesh, a name that has steadily climbed the college football coaching ranks over the years. Known for his offensive ingenuity, program-building pedigree, and unconventional background, Golesh arrives in Fayetteville with a reputation for sparking rapid turnarounds, something Arkansas needs now more than ever.
Offensive Roots
A former offensive coordinator under Josh Heupel, Golesh helped design and run the high-speed Tennessee offense which is essentially a modernized version of the Veer and Shoot, a scheme heavily influenced by Art Briles. Its purpose is simple: makes life easier for the quarterback.
The system leans heavily on deep choice routes, RPOs, and single-read throws, often turning more than half of a quarterback’s attempts into one-step decision plays. It’s a plug-and-play attack that doesn’t require an NFL-caliber passer to thrive. The goal is to let athletes be athletes, spread the field horizontally and vertically, and force defenses into constant stress.
That simplicity creates an instant-impact floor, though the tradeoff is that well-coached defenses with equal talent can scheme against it, forming a ceiling for how far the offense can go. Arkansas fans will recognize parts of the structure, it shares DNA with Kendal Briles’ system, though Briles blended in heavier West Coast principles from his time under Josh Heupel.
USF Rebuild: From Rock Bottom to Contender
Golesh is in his third season at South Florida, where he engineered one of the nation’s most impressive turnarounds. He inherited a 1–11 team and immediately returned the Bulls to bowl eligibility in his first year, then kept elevating the program.
Under his leadership, USF posted a 22–15 record, including back-to-back bowl trips and a breakout 2025 season highlighted by stunning ranked wins over Boise State and Florida. A 63–36 blowout of North Texas showcased the explosive identity he built, and the Bulls remained in AAC title contention until their recent loss to Navy, just their third defeat of the season.
Statistically, USF has been one of college football’s most electric offenses:
- 495.8 yards per game and 42.2 points per game both being 2nd in the nation
- Top 25 passing attack
- Top 12 rushing attack (221.2 yards per game)
The defense remained more middle-of-the-pack at 25.2 points allowed per game, but the Bulls’ offensive firepower consistently carried them to victories.
Golesh doesn’t fit the typical mold of a Southern football lifer. Born in Moscow, he immigrated to the United States at age seven, grew up in Ohio, and graduated from Ohio State. He speaks fluent Russian and regularly credits his upbringing for the work ethic and adaptability that define his career.
A Career Built Through Turnarounds
Across 20 seasons, Golesh has worked with eight FBS programs, gaining a reputation as a sharp recruiter and a detail-driven offensive mind:
- Student assistant at Ohio State
- Stops at Northern Illinois, Toledo, Oklahoma State, and Illinois
- Tight ends/recruiting coordinator at Iowa State, helping launch Matt Campbell’s rebuild
- Co-offensive coordinator at Tennessee, guiding one of the nation’s top offenses in 2021–22
Everywhere he’s gone, improvement has followed.
What Arkansas Is Getting
Arkansas is betting on what Golesh has consistently proven: he builds programs, develops quarterbacks, and manufactures offense at an elite rate.
His system is fast, aggressive, and player-friendly. His track record shows he can lift a struggling roster quickly. And his unconventional life story speaks to resilience, resourcefulness, and ambition all being traits that resonate in a hyper-competitive SEC. He knows how to navigate the transfer portal and deal with the NIL. He's been involved in the ever changing college football landscape which is a huge plus.
For a program seeking identity, spark, and fresh energy, Arkansas believes it has found the right leader.
And if Golesh’s past is any indication, the Razorbacks may be on the cusp of a much-needed resurgence.