The USF Bulls just shocked the world by reportedly replacing the Auburn Tigers' new head coach, Alex Golesh, with Ohio State Buckeyes offensive coordinator Brian Hartline, per ESPN's Pete Thamel. The 39-year-old was a candidate for the Kentucky Wildcats and Penn State Nittany Lions jobs, interviewing with the former. His hiring at USF is a major coup for the Bulls.
Did they just upstage Auburn's Golesh hiring? Not really, since the Tigers are the ones with a proven entity while USF is hiring a first-time head coach. With that said, Hartline is one of the game's brightest young offensive minds.
Not only has Hartline created a well-oiled machine in Columbus with a Buckeyes offense that has dissected opponents through strategic downfield bombs from Julian Sayin to Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate, but he's been able to create a star out of running back Bo Jackson, who had 117 yards in a 27-9 win against the Michigan Wolverines in "The Game" this past Saturday.
Clearly, the University of South Florida is preparing to spend money on its product. Situated in Tampa, the Bulls could be a sleeping giant in a talent-rich area. Golesh raised the standard of that program to nab someone who, by all accounts, should've been a slam-dunk hire for Penn State. The Nittany Lions want a coaching hire who can bring a roster with him.
Alex Golesh paved the way for USF's OC-to-head coach pipeline
Golesh parlayed a successful run with the dynamite 2022 Tennessee Volunteers offense, spearheaded by Hendon Hooker's brilliance under center, into a successful head coaching stint at USF.
Hartline is clearly looking to follow that model.
Auburn just hired a trendsetter, and someone who comes at a reasonable price-tag. That the Bulls just went all-in on his replacement shows that something has been built in Hillsborough County, Florida.
Bringing the man who built USF to a program that's mostly been a well-oiled machine throughout history, minus the last five years, sounds like a winning strategy on paper.