After reviving South Florida, Alex Golash, the third-season HC, is reportedly leaving USF for an SEC team. Alex took over the Bulls in 2024, when the team was struggling with a 4-29 record in three years under Jeff Scott, and they hadn’t made it to a bowl game since 2018. Golesh took the program to a 22-15 record in three seasons, leading the Bulls to a bowl game in the first two seasons. The USF is now 8-3 this season and will enter the Bowl game for the third straight time.

Golash was rumored to be the coaching target for Arkansas, admired for how he rebuilt the Bulls with a fast tempo, sharp recruiting, and a demanding culture. After weeks of rumors, as the Bulls prepare for the final game against the Rice Owls this Saturday, Trey Schaap of 103.7 The Buzz reported that the South Florida Bulls head coach, Alex Golesh, has accepted the coaching role at Arkansas. While the report is creating a big buzz, neither Coach Golesh nor the university has confirmed the coaching changes yet. 

Alex Golesh’s salary at USF

Golesh is one of the highest-paid coaches in college football, who made $2.5 million per year at South Florida. His base salary is just $500,000, due to the Florida law that limits state-funded pay. However, the University paid $2 million as supplemental compensation (annualized pay).

In other words, every year he earns a base salary plus supplemental compensation, totaling $2.5 million. His maximum bonus is set at $1.25 million, and he gains yearly compensation. In 2024, he had a prior-year bonus of $50,000, and in 2025, he received the prior-season bonus of $85,000.

Does Alex Golesh have a buyout?

Yes, Alex Golesh’s contract does have a buyout. Alex Golesh signed a six-year contract with South Florida on December 5, 2022, that runs through December 31, 2028. According to his contract, if Golash leaves USF for another job before December 31, he would owe the Bulls $2 million. However, Goulash does not have a fully guaranteed deal, which means that if he is fired without cause, he’ll only receive payment for 20 weeks (comprising his base salary and supplemental salary). 

Alex Golesh’s Arkansas rumor still looks unreal, as both the head coach and Rob Higgins gave a USF pledge just a week ago. Last week, Golesh spoke about his 100% commitment to the Bulls.

“I’m so focused and locked in on this program and this team,” he had said. On the other hand, “Coach Golesh’s representatives and I continue to have a lot of great conversations, and both they and Coach Golesh know how fully invested we are in his long-term future at USF,” wrote Higgins. “We won’t discuss the details of those conversations publicly. We all appreciate how totally locked in Coach Golesh has stayed on our program and student-athletes throughout this season, despite what a lot of the false reports that continue to circulate online suggest. Go Bulls!”