TAMPA, Fla. -- Once upon a time, USF craved what Alex Golesh had to offer.
He wasn't just a gifted play-caller, he wasn't just an experienced recruiter, he wasn't just another up-and-coming assistant coach. He was cocky, aggressive and ambitious, which is exactly what the Bulls needed after tumbling toward the bottom of every college football ranking.
Golesh turned the program around quicker and more spectacularly than anyone could have imagined. Just a few years after going 1-11, USF was in the mix this season for the American Conference title and a potential College Football Playoff berth right up until a couple of weeks ago.
And now those qualities that made him so attractive to USF in back in 2022?
They're the same qualities that led to his departure Sunday morning.
Golesh is leaving USF after three seasons to accept a six-year deal as the head coach at Auburn, ostensibly to get a Power Four position at a school with far more history and resources than a fledgling Group of Five school.
Cocky, aggressive, ambitious. Which means today should come as no surprise.
For a guy who famously said he has never chased a job, Auburn will be Golesh's 10th stop in the last 22 years. The evidence suggests the only thing he does better than coaching football players is chase the next-best job.
"I want to thank President (Chris) Roberts and (athletic director) John Cohen for the opportunity to lead the Auburn program," Golesh said in a statement released by Auburn, roughly 12 hours after the Bulls' 52-3 rout of Rice in USF's regular-season finale.
"Auburn Football is one of the proudest, most tradition-rich programs in all of college football and my family and I could not be more excited to join the Auburn Family. This will be a player-driven program and no one will outwork our staff.
"Auburn has won, can win and will win championships. Let's get to work."
Golesh's name started drawing interest nationally after USF began the season with victories against Boise State and Florida. At various times, he was linked to Oklahoma State, Arkansas, Auburn, Virginia Tech and even Penn State.
Reports out of Arkansas earlier in the week suggested Golesh had already accepted a job with the Razorbacks, but there was never official confirmation.
Golesh will replace Hugh Freeze at Auburn. Freeze was fired at Auburn earlier this month in the midst of his third consecutive losing season. The Tigers still owe Freeze $15.8 million.
When asked about job rumors in October, Golesh made it sound as if there was no reason for USF fans to be concerned.
"I came here to build something really, really special," he said at the time. "I chose to come here. I see this place as a really, really cool spot where you can build it the way you want to build it."
When he was hired by USF after three seasons as an offensive coordinator at UCF and Tennessee, there were whispers about his play-calling credentials. Was Golesh an offensive wiz or the beneficiary of working under head coach Josh Heupel at both UCF and Tennessee?
Those questions were answered by the end of his first season in Tampa Bay.
A hot finish led to a bowl game and a 7-6 record and the Bulls averaged nearly 32 points per game. By the time they crushed Rice, the Bulls were averaging 43 points a contest, which put them among the top-five teams in the nation.
And now USF is left searching for a head coach for the fourth time in the past decade. Meantime, CEO of athletics Rob Higgins announced Sunday that veteran Bulls defensive line coach Kevin Patrick will serve as USF's interim coach.
The program is in much better shape than it was when Golesh arrived, but that doesn't mean there aren't question marks. Quarterback Byrum Brown has a year of eligibility remaining but may choose to enter the NFL draft or the transfer portal now that Golesh won't be returning. USF also is set to lose 30 seniors although the incoming recruiting class is among the best in the conference and the program's funding is significantly higher than other American teams.
USF went 23-15 under Golesh and was .500 or better each season in the American. The biggest complaint -- which was not uncommon under previous coaches at the school -- is that USF stumbled whenever it was in a position to do something special. USF entered the Top 25 polls three different times in 2025 and went 2-3 while ranked.
The hiring process will be the first high-profile decision by Higgins, who was hired just a couple of months ago.
"Rest assured, we did everything within reason over the last few months to try and keep (the Golesh family) here. We will be cheering them on always!" Higgins said in a social media post. "Here's the best part ... we're not only fired up for the Golesh's, we are also really fired up for USF! It's okay for both to be true.
"Bulls Nation, our next head coach will build upon what Coach Golesh and his staff have helped start."