On the heels of a breakthrough 2023 campaign in his first season as a head coach, Alex Golesh is making critical changes to his USF coaching staff -- in important on- and off-the-field roles.
Sources tell FootballScoop that Golesh has hired away Zach Cole from Tennessee to serve as the program's director of football operations. Cole had been the assistant DFO in Josh Heupel's Vols' program.
Golesh also refilled a key on-field assistant spot with a separate hire from Tennessee, where Golesh had served two seasons as the program's offensive coordinator under. Heupel in 2021-22 before taking over at USF.
Golesh has hired Micah James, who was a senior offensive analyst with the Vols, to serve as USF's running backs coach.
Already on staff in an off-the-field role, Jack Taylor has been promoted to the role of tight ends coach for Golesh.
On the defensive side of the ball, Golesh hired DeMarcus Van Dyke away from Florida International to serve as USF's new cornerbacks coach.
After a 2023 season in which it threatened to upset eventual College Football Playoff participant Alabama and closed the year when it throttled Syracuse in the Boca Raton Bowl, USF is set to begin Year 2 under Golesh Aug. 31 against FCS program Bethune-Cookman.
The Bulls are scheduled to face both Alabama and Miami, on the road and at home, respectively, in the season's opening month.