USF fans have tried to act like Alex Golesh was the problem. The Bulls just lost their fourth game of their last six, though, a 52-41 loss to Memphis in Tampa, and now there's no doubt that Golesh was holding the program up.
Brian Hartline's program has struggled mightily offensively, ranking near the bottom of the FBS in yards per game heading into Thursday. Obviously, the 552 total yards against Memphis will help the cause, but this offense produced 27 points combined against Temple and Bowling Green in consecutive weeks earlier this season.
It'd be a complete lie to say USF isn't wishing Byrum Brown, Keshaun Singleton, Chas Nimrod, Jeremiah Koger, and Co. were still around. Michael Van Buren Jr. and Luke Kromenhoek have struggled to run the offense, and the defensive effort has been able to cover for it most of the season, but not on Thursday against Memphis.
The Bulls are still bowl-eligible under Hartline, but are nowhere near the top of the American Conference. Florida Atlantic and Tulane remain on USF's schedule, which could be a 7-5 finish waiting to happen.
Sure, 7-5 would be an improvement on Golesh's first and second years with the Bulls, but it'd be a step back from where this team should've been. Golesh brought USF along further than this, and given the program's conference realignment goals, this was a failure of a season.
Brian Hartline came at Alex Golesh and missed in 2026
Let's not forget that Hartline furthered the rivalry Golesh had with the Bulls' fanbase back over the summer.
Hartline said something that was very easy to interpret as a shot at Golesh's three-year tenure in Tampa.
"There was some success here the last couple of years, but nowhere near where it should be," Hartline said.
Golesh never responded through the media, instead responding on the field. While it's been a tough watch offensively at times, Joel Gordon's offense has done enough to pick up three wins in the SEC, including the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry upset over Georgia in October.
Golesh isn't trading his 5-4 record for Hartline's 6-4 record. Auburn is just getting going, while USF may be on the way down because it got a master recruiter whose X's and O's don't match.
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