Alex Golesh recognizes and appreciates the opportunity, even if the South Florida coach is hesitant to state the obvious.
No. 8 Miami is the next challenge on Golesh’s mission to make USF football relevant again, and the one-time Tennessee offensive coordinator is sure — win or lose Saturday night — that the improved Bulls (2-1) are headed in the right direction.
“It would be really big for us to get a win, but I think it would be really big for them to get a win, too,” said Golesh, hired a little less than two years ago to rebuild what was once touted as the fastest-growing program in the nation.
The Bulls were launched from scratch in 1997 and barely a decade into their existence rose as high as No. 2 in the AP Poll. A gradual descent since an upset of then-No. 5 West Virginia propelled them into the spotlight in 2007 contributed to USF being left behind in conference realignment in recent years.
Golesh inherited a team that went 1-11 two years ago and engineered a six-win turnaround to 7-6 in 2023. The Bulls have Miami’s undivided attention after playing No. 4 Alabama close before collapsing in the fourth quarter two weeks ago.