If that was Alex Golesh's farewell to USF football, the Bulls' 52-3 domination of Rice at Raymond James Stadium left fans a lovely parting gift. It was the fifth time this season USF had scored more than 50 points in a game.
The Bulls took command early and by halftime it was clear there would be no repeat of last year's deflating loss in Houston. If this was quarterback Byrum Brown's final home game, he made the most of it, throwing four touchdown passes and ran for one more.
Two of those scoring passes went to Keyshaun Singleton. Brown became only the 12th player in FBS history to have 3,000 yards passing and 1,000 yards rushing in a single season. He exited to a curtain call to a rousing ovation with 11:30 left in the fourth quarter and a huge hug from Golesh.
End of an era? He does have one more year of eligibility if he chooses to use it.
"I don't know. Let it play out. I don't know," he told Bulls Unlimited after the game.
It was USF's ninth win of the regular season, the first time the Bulls have reached that level since 2017. With a bowl win, they can reach double-digits. Considering what USF was when Golesh came here three years ago, that's a significant achievement. It was the Bulls' first undefeated home season since 2002.
But the outcome of this game against an American Conference also-ran was incidental to whatever news awaits USF fans, most probably on Sunday as the dominoes fall across the coaching landscape.
If you've followed the story in the last several days, you know the plot. A podcaster prematurely tweeted that Golesh had "accepted" the job at Arkansas. The story was premature. He might still wind up there, or he might not. Then came the word that Auburn wanted to talk, and perhaps Ole Miss could be in the mix if Lane Kiffin leaves.
Nowhere did anyone "in the know" seriously mention the chance of Golesh staying at USF.
So, what comes next?
"I'm going to go enjoy this tonight with my family," Golesh said. "We'll figure it out."
Is USF about to suffer the fate of all Group of 5 schools with a hot coach? Golesh repeatedly has said that he came to USF to build a sustainable program. Has he accomplished that, especially if he leaves and multiple key players head to the Transfer Portal? Whatever he built -- and it is a substantial work in progress -- could dissolve into uncertainty.
What about the incoming 2026 recruiting class, which currently ranks first in the American Conference? Can you say "decommit?"
Would Brown choose to return for a final season under a third head coach?
If Golesh wants the challenge of coaching in the SEC, well, good luck. Arkansas finshed off a 2-10 season Saturday, including 0-8 in the SEC. The Razorbacks have been under .500 in the SEC 12 times since 2012, People could argue that USF had won four games in three years before Golesh arrived, but he wasn't trying to rebuild against Alabama, LSU, Texas A&M, Missouri, and Auburn.
Speaking of Auburn, Golesh would be its fourth head coach since 2020. Fans there have the patience of a 2-year-old hit with sudden hunger pangs. Power conference jobs come with the understanding that fans believe patience depends on whether you punted on your last drive or not.
I've believed Golesh was a different kind of cat, the son of Russian immigrants who wasn't obsessed with money or shiny baubles like a Power 4 job. USF proved this year that it is closer to the College Football Playoff than Arkansas or even Auburn.
Golesh has certainly enjoyed the support of a superior leadership team at USF that supported his steady process to build a program. Golesh has always said he has everything here to build a program that can compete at the highest level.
If he leaves, that was just so much talk, especially if the money is close.
Rob Higgins, the CEO of Athletics at USF, said he is prepared whatever comes next. He offered Golesh a financial package that reportedly was competitive with Arkansas, but if that's not enough Higgins is prepared to go with Plah B.
If that happens, the new coach will inherit a program exponentially better than the one Golesh was handed three years ago. It's impossible now to say what that roster would look like, given the portal and the tendency of high school "commitments" to dissolve before signing day.
Even with that, an on-campus stadium will open in 2027 and USF's funding for athlete's pay is at the maximum allowed by the NCAA, and the highest in the Group of 5. Good players will come here.
Will that be to play for Alex Golesh?
We'll find out.