Alex Golesh had promised to stay at USF, but when Auburn announced him as the new head coach, no one was really surprised. For the Bulls fan, the decision still stung. They’re now looking at a new life under Brian Hartline. Their former head coach appeared from the shadows for a final message to the fan base, but it didn’t go well with the fans.

“Proud of this team and the entire @USFFootball organization,” Golesh wrote in a December 18 X post. “The young men that bought into a process driven program and eventually grew to lead each other. I am grateful to every single person that has given their all to put the program on a national stage. Foundation is laid – huge things ahead! Go Bulls! Thank you!”

That message landed just weeks after Golesh quietly accepted the Auburn job on November 30, which was just one day after USF ended its regular season by crushing Rice to finish 9-3. USF was already back in the national spotlight with wins against Florida and Boise State in the first two weeks of the season, and Golesh stayed locked in until the very end. Even when rumors swirled, he never let the moment drift.

After the Rice victory, Golesh said, “I’m so process-driven,” which is why he refused to juggle futures in the middle of the season. His only goal was to finish it the right way. After the regular season ended, he signed a six-year, $7.4 million-a-year contract at Auburn. At USF, Golesh’s impact went beyond wins and schemes. At the core, he was always there for his players.

“What people may or may not know is that he’s the all-around head coach,” linebacker Fred Gaskin said of his head coach. “Since I’ve been here and gotten recruited by him, he’s been a phone call away. Any one of his players always knows that if you need him, he’s there – for any sort of thing. If you need to come to him about personal things, he’s always there.”

On the field, that balance was evident. Auburn took note as well, especially considering how much USF’s offense had exploded under Golesh, ranking No. 3 in total yards and No. 5 nationally in scoring, in sharp contrast to an Auburn team that was struggling in the bottom half of the SEC. With players like Dillon Gabriel, Hendon Hooker, and Byrum Brown thriving under his guidance, Golesh’s quarterback resume is incredible.

But as much as Auburn zeroed in on the results and resume, the reaction back in Tampa followed a very different script. What initially appeared to be professionalism and patience quickly turned into frustration on the other end.

Alex Golesh turning off replies ignites fan fury

As soon as fans discovered Golesh had disabled comments on his farewell post, the tone changed. “Snake oil salesman turned off replies. I wonder why,” one fan fired off, while another jabbed that he’d keep getting “outclassed by Sumrall on and off the field.” The rage was unfiltered. Disabling comments made the problem worse. Before they could even say farewell on their own terms, Bulls fans felt as though the door had been slammed shut.

Others questioned money and motivations, going straight for the jugular. One comment said, “Where’s the $100,000 you commie?” while another charged Golesh with stealing “every crumb from the university that gave you a shot.” The frustration stems from a persistent issue with perception. Fans quickly weaponized the fact that Auburn was the coach’s 10th spot in 22 years, although he earlier claimed he had never chased jobs.

Many fans believed Golesh when he told reporters in October that he picked USF because he wanted to “build something really, really special.” For those who bought in the hardest, those comments seemed hollow when comments were disabled two months later.

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The emotional shift that fans make when they’re ready to move on is insane. “Replies turned off? I’m sure there would have been many level-headed fans thanking the coach,” one wrote, before another added, “These kids deserve better than what you did. Can’t wait for the Hartline era🤘🏼.”

And with that, old questions resurfaced, too: was Golesh really an offensive genius or was he just riding the Josh Heupel wave from Tennessee and UCF? Ultimately, the true story was revealed. Golesh saw a foundation laid. A significant portion of the fanbase saw trust broken where accountability should’ve been.