As USF prepares for its bowl game, some key offensive coaches are now at Auburn

When Alex Golesh left for Auburn, he took the bulk of USF's offensive coaching staff with him. What's left on that side of the football for the Bulls are several lower-level assistant coaches, which begs the question: Will USF have enough go-go juice on offense to beat Old Dominion on December 17?

Golesh took offensive coodinator/QB coach Joel Gordon, offensive coordinator/wide receiver Kodi Burns, and line coach Tyler Hudanack with him to the place called the loveliest villlage on the plains. Assistant linebackers coach Brad Wilson also joined the exodus.

To recap: The lead coaches for USF quarterbacks, receivers, and the offensive line have left the building. If the Bulls look a little shaky at the Cure Bowl, it's understandable.

And to be clear, Golesh didn't do anything unusual or underhanded. It's just the way the system works.

Golesh also took Andrew Warsaw who served as the USF general manager and chief of staff, which meant he dealt with a lot of NIL-related stuff. Even though Warsaw was highly respected, USF shouldn't lose sleep over that departure. The Bulls' athletic department still has is an abundance of business-savvy minds at work.

Kevin Patrick, who served as USF's defensive line coach, was given the task of serving as the interim head coach. As of now, there's no indication what new head coach Brian Hartline plans to do about the those coaches trying to get the Bulls ready for the bowl game. That has got to add a ton of uncertainty to the air.

Defensive coordinator Todd Orlando came to Tampa with Golesh three years ago. But Golesh didn't take Orlando with him to Auburn, and Hartline hired Josh Aldridge from East Carolina to serve as USF's defensive coordinator.

In his one season as the Pirates' D-coordinator, East Carolina ranked 48th in the country in total defense, while USF ranked 80th.

Aldridge came to East Carolina after two seasons at ... wait for it ... Auburn!

Coaches at this level know that job security can be a week-to-week thing. However, when you have families involved and a sudden change like this occurs, it can be unsettling. New coaches traditionally clean out the previous staff, although Golesh kept DJ Durkin as his defensive coordinator. Durkin was the interim head coach of the Tigers for their last three games after Hugh Freeze was fired.

What's happening with the holdovers on the USF staff now is anyone's guess. That's Hartline's call and he said Monday he has made made under-the-radar progress on that front as he juggles his new role with USF while helping prepare Ohio State for the playoffs.

"I would say last week was the hardest week, just with the amount of things that we're moving and being pulled away and all these things once we kind of get through," he said.

"I think this week, we have a little bit of time to get back, to take a breath, get organized, and then be able to operate a little bit from afar, and also be cleaner there."

While that goes on, the USF holdovers have to prepare for a game while wondering what the future hoids for them.

It's not easy, but it's the life they chose.