Arkansas is having a disappointing season this year with a 2-9 record. The Razorbacks fired Sam Pittman on September 28 after a 2-3 start and a lopsided 56-13 home loss to Notre Dame.
Since then, Arkansas has been aggressively searching for a new head coach, and rumors surfaced on Wednesday that South Florida’s Alex Golesh has emerged as the leading candidate for the job.
Fans React to Alex Golesh’s Rumored Arkansas Role
Sports insider Trey Schaap reported Wednesday that Golesh has agreed to become Arkansas’s next head coach.
Over three seasons at USF, Golesh has posted a 22-15 record and earned eight wins this season, including an 18-16 road win over Florida in The Swamp. Golesh’s potential addition to USF is seen as a winning move by many, and fans are already buzzing about his move to the Bulls.
“Yes, sir! Very good hire has shown he can beat more talented programs with less,” a fan said.
“He’s a good choice..will come down to recruiting. Has everything you want as a coach,” one said.
Meanwhile, some fans are skeptical about Golesh’s potential with USF.
“Sucks 2 bad seasons in a roll and he’ll be out the door. At usf they would’ve been loyal to him. Always happens smh,” a person said.
“Thank God. Enjoy a guy who can barely beat teams who have over .500 record. Thanks for the buy out money!” one said.
“See you guys right back here in 5 years when we are doing this again. We are bound and determined to keep doing the same thing over and over until we get good results,” a person said.
However, there has been no official confirmation that Golesh has formally accepted the Arkansas job. Reporting from CBS Sports’ Brandon Marcello and Fox13’s Kevin O’Donnell indicates he is Arkansas’ top target, but nothing is finalized.
According to John Talty, Golesh told people on Wednesday that he won’t make a final decision until the weekend and has not signed any contract.
Golesh’s USF team sits at 8-3 and No. 47 in the PFSN College Football Playoff Ranking. His coaching profile includes stops at Ohio State (as a student assistant), Northern Illinois, Toledo, Oklahoma State, Illinois, Iowa State (as tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator under Matt Campbell), and Tennessee (as co-offensive coordinator).
If Golesh takes the Arkansas job, he will have to turn around a program that will tie the record for worst season in school history unless they beat Missouri on Saturday. The Razorbacks appointed Bobby Petrino as the interim head coach following Pittman’s firing, but haven’t won since.
