FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KATV) — Current USF head coach Alex Golesh has reportedly accepted an offer to be the next head coach at the University of Arkansas.

103.7 The Buzz’s Trey Schaap was the first to report the news.

KATV has reached out directly to representatives with the University of South Florida and the University of Arkansas for confirmation.

However, it is worth noting that current Arkansas head coach Bobby Petrino penned a “Thank You” letter to fans on social media.

Nothing is confirmed by university officials from either school.

The 41-year-old brings three years of head coaching experience to the Hogs, offset by a long and successful tenure as an offensive coordinator and assistant. He’s also back in the SEC, where he found great success in Knoxville with the Tennessee Volunteers.

The Golesh File:

2003Westerville Central HS (OH) (DL)2004–05Ohio State (SA)2006–07Northern Illinois (GA)2008Oklahoma State (GA)2009Toledo (RB/RC)2010–11Toledo (TE/RC)2012–13Illinois (TE/RC)2014Illinois (TE/HB/RC)2015Illinois (TE/ST)2016–19Iowa State (TE/RC)2020UCF (Co-OC/TE)2021–22Tennessee (OC/TE)2023–25 South Florida (HC)

Everywhere Golesh has been, success follows.

When he was at Iowa State, he helped lead the Cyclones from a three-win season to three-straight bowl games.

At Illinois, he helped lead the Fighting Illini from two wins, to back-to-back bowl games.

He was also part of a Toledo squad that went from 3-9 the year before to 9-4.

Golesh made a name for himself at Iowa State, where he mentored all-conference tight ends in 2017, 2018, and 2019, including current Baltimore Ravens tight end, Charlie Kolar.

In 2020, Golesh was hired as a co-offensive coordinator for UCF, working under then-UCF head coach Josh Heupel. In his lone year with the Knights, Golesh had the UCF offense ranked second in the FBS in total offense, fourth in passing offense, seventh in passing yards, and eighth nationally in scoring offense.

The following season, Golesh followed Heupel to Tennessee and served as his offensive coordinator and tight ends coach.

Golesh wasted no time turning around a struggling Volunteer offense into one of the nation’s most versatile. Tennessee went from 108th in the country in scoring in 2020 to seventh in 2021.

In 2022, Golesh helped shatter multiple records. The Volunteers ranked No. 1 in the nation in scoring, yards per game, points per possession, and yards per play.

Tennessee was the only team to average 300 yards passing and 200 yards rushing in the 2022 season.

In his first year with USF, Golesh led one of the greatest turnarounds in program history. The Bulls went 1-11 the season before, and Golesh led the program to a 7-6 record, including a 45-0 blowout victory in the Boca Raton Bowl against Syracuse.

Golesh followed his first year with another 7-6 record, this time with a victory in the Hawaii Bowl over San Jose State.

This year, Golesh put the Bulls in the spotlight. To open the season, USF faced ranked Boise State and Florida, and emerged victorious in both contests. The significant wins were good enough to rank South Florida 18th in the nation.

Golesh has the Bulls at 8-3 going into the final game of the season against Rice University.

Golesh is the son of Russian immigrant parents. Born in Moscow, Russia, just before the fall of the USSR, his family immigrated to the United States, and he grew up in Brooklyn, New York and Dublin, Ohio. Golesh graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Ohio State in 2006 and began his coaching career thereafter.