South Florida head coach Alex Golesh was chased down by FAU head coach Tom Herman after a frosty postgame handshake on Friday night. The video has gone viral across the college football world on Saturday morning.
Golesh spent two years as Tennessee’s offensive coordinator before taking the USF job prior to the 2023 season.
There’s a bit of a rivalry brewing between the two Florida schools dating back to a controversial coaching move during last year’s contest.
The Owls went for an onside kick up 42 points in the closing minute of the contest last season, which also just so happened to be on South Florida’s homecoming game in Tampa.
Alex Golesh didn’t forget.
South Florida running back Ta’Ron Keith logged a 42-yard touchdown run with 11 minutes to go in the fourth quarter to extend the Bulls’ lead to 44-21 in Boca Raton.
With the game fully out of reach as it was last season as well, Golesh dialed up a two-point conversion attempt. While it did fail to keep the score at 44-21, the message was sent loud and clear.
It was also FAU’s homecoming game on Friday.
Golesh didn’t appear to slow down his steps when passing Herman during the postgame handshake, prompting the FAU head coach to turn around and continue exchanging words.
Pate State has already had Alex Golesh vetted and ready to hire. Look at our guy.pic.twitter.com/fijVYKmuX6
— Josh Pate (@JoshPateCFB) November 2, 2024
More from RTI: Tennessee Football vs. Kentucky: Friday Injury Report
Golesh commented on the interaction after the game:
“Not a whole lot of back and forth,” Golesh said. “Nothing really. I said a year ago we would be back to get it. And we came back to get it. Whatever’s said is said. I’m good. I think it was said that we recruit against each other, I think it was said we don’t like each other. I’ve got a lot of respect for that staff. I think they do a really good job. I don’t specifically think we recruit against each other. At least, I can’t think of a guy we had to go beat them on. We certainly run into them. Got a lot of respect for a lot of those guys. But I said we were coming back to get it. Last year at the end of the game, we got embarrassed at home. We came and got it. And we’ll continue to do so.”
Alex Golesh’s comment on the postgame frostiness https://t.co/A6P1TUyZx1 pic.twitter.com/GG24D8KhwL
— CJ Fogler 🫡 (@cjzero) November 2, 2024
