First-year head coach led Bulls to first bowl game in five seasons
TAMPA, Nov. 29, 2023 – College Football News has named South Florida head football coach Alex Golesh among its Top 15 coaches of 2023 and a finalist for its annual Coach of the Year Award.
Golesh, who led the Bulls to the second-best turnaround in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) with a five-win improvement over 2022, was joined on the list by Northwestern’s David Braun, whose Wildcats have produced the best turnaround with a 6-win improvement. Golesh and the Bulls, who have qualified for the program’s first bowl game since 2018, will have a chance to equal that improvement in bowl season.
Other coaches named to CFN’s year-end list include: Jeff Brohm (Louisville), Curt Cignetti (James Madison), Kalen DeBoer (Washington), Eliah Drinkwitz (Missouri), Kirk Ferentz (Iowa), Jedd Fisch (Arizona), Brent Key (Georgia Tech), Jerry Kill (New Mexico State), GJ Kinne (Texas State), Mike Norvell (Florida State), Barry Odom (UNLV), Rich Rodriguez (Jacksonville State) and Kirby Smart (Georgia).
With Golesh at the helm, the Bulls won their first road game in four seasons, posted four conference wins (the program’s most since 2017) and logged the biggest win improvement in program history. The fastest offense in the nation, averaging 82 plays a game, ranks No. 17 nationally producing 455 yards per game, produced four games of 40-plus points (the program’s most since 2017), and the sixth 5,000-yard season in program history (first since 2018).
Redshirt freshman quarterback Byrum Brown (Raleigh, N.C.) earned conference weekly honors six times and led the conference in total offense (318.6 ypg) and points responsible for (17.3 ppg), ranking No. 7 and No. 12 nationally, and became the Bulls’ first 3,000-yard passer and one of two players nationally to post at least 3,000 yards passing and 700 rushing. His 23 touchdown passes on the year are just two shy of the program record and his 64.1 completion percentage is on track for a program record.
Meanwhile, wide receiver Sean Atkins (Viera), a former walk-on, earned American All-Conference Second Team selection and set program season records for receptions (86) and receiving yards (961) while ranking No. 7 nationally in receptions per game (7.2).
The Bulls (6-6; 4-4 AAC) will await their bowl destination, which will be officially announced on Dec. 3.
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ABOUT USF FOOTBALL
The USF football program first took the field in 1997 and completed its 27th regular season in 2023 by earning the program’s 11th bowl bid, entering a new $22 million Indoor Performance Facility and receiving Board of Trustees approval for construction of a $340-million on-campus stadium. The Bulls have posted 15 winning seasons, earned 16 All-America selections, including a 2021 consensus All-American kick returner, and had 32 first-team all-conference selections. USF has had 30 players selected in the NFL Draft and has made 10 bowl game appearances (going 6-4 in those games), posting a program-record six straight appearances from 2005-2010 and most recently making four straight bowl appearances from 2015-18. The Bulls posted back-to-back 10-win seasons in 2016 and 2017, logging a program-record 11-2 mark in 2016 while finishing both seasons ranked in the Top 25. USF spent a program-record 20 straight weeks ranked in the Top 25 during the 2016 and 2017 seasons and reached as high as No. 2 in the national rankings during the 2007 season.
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– #GoBulls –
