Cutting old ties is never easy, and USF’s Alex Golesh is feeling that pain in real time. After weeks of playing back and forth with Tulane’s Jon Sumrall’s name, the Auburn Tigers finally got their next man up. But before that, Golesh is making sure to bid an emotional goodbye to South Florida and his old life before embarking on a new journey.

“Bulls Nation, I want to thank the University of South Florida for an incredible three years as the head football coach. My deepest gratitude goes to President Law, Jay Stroman, and Will Weatherford for their support and alignment, as well as to former AD Michael Kelly and CEO Rob Higgins for their unwavering belief in our mission.

Auburn’s head coach, Alex Golesh, said on X, “To our players, thank you for your commitment to building a process-driven program and believing in a vision when it wasn’t the cool thing to do.” You are a special group in today’s college football landscape. You chose to give more of yourself than ever to take from the group.”

What makes this moment even more emotional is Golesh’s family ties to South Florida, as his parents relocated to Florida’s East Coast. They bought a place in Palm Coast a few years ago and are planning to retire there. Now, leaving behind your family, friends, and team isn’t that straightforward. Especially when you had a remarkable tenure. Golesh had a 9-3 record this season with a 23-15 overall mark during his three years of time at USF.

He guided South Florida to bowl wins in each of his last two seasons, putting them in national contention after their 1-11 record in 2022. USF was not just a job for Golesh but a meaningful mission of rebuilding a failing program, cementing strong relationships with players and staff, and making sure his team grows together both on and off the field.

Now, Auburn is expecting the same turnaround from Golesh after ending their regular season with a 5-7, 1-7 SEC record and no bowl appearance. They finalized a six-year deal with him, hoping for a major change at their offensive front, too. Golesh brings in a pretty strong resume, leading Tennessee to the No. 1 ranking in total offense back in 2022.

Then, during his lone season at UCF in 2020, the Knights posted 568.1 yards per game and were ranked at the No. 2 spot in the country. His offensive mind translated well in South Florida, as they ranked in the top 20 in two seasons of his three-year tenure, and this year they were ranked No. 2 in offense with 500.6 yards per game, averaging 43.0 points per game. Even Golesh is pretty excited to make a surge with Auburn.

“Auburn family, we just arrived on the Plains and got a chance to meet with the team. Man, we are excited; I can’t wait to go to work. I can’t wait to make it proud,” Golesh said.

That resume and enthusiasm will help him to shape the Tigers’ offense that was barely averaging around 27.4 per game. Now, with Golesh’s move, let’s see what South Florida is planning on.

What’s USF’s next step after Alex Golesh move to Auburn?

As per Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger, Alex Golesh signed a $7.4 million per year contract for 6 years with the Tigers and is all set to make a massive turnaround with them. But where does that leave South Florida? After three successful seasons under him, they are now out there looking for a new leader.

Athletic Director Rob Higgins made it clear that he did everything “within reason” to keep Alex Golesh on the team, but he was already ready for the new chapter. For now, South Florida will enter the bowl game with defensive line coach Kevin Patrick, as he will serve as an interim HC.

Now with Golesh’s move, many players might also enter the portal looking for possible options. And Higgins might have to quickly hire the next man up to maintain their no. 59 recruiting class. Early candidates’ names are coming up, which include FIU’s Willie Simmons, Marshall’s Charles Huff, and Texas State’s GJ Kinne.

Now, let’s wait and see how South Florida bounces back from this major setback and performs next season.