FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The Arkansas Razorbacks football program has turned to a rising offensive mind to lead its next era.

Arkansas is set to hire South Florida Bulls coach Alex Golesh to build upon a foundation left by fired sixth-year coach Sam Pittman.

Golesh is set to take over a Razorbacks program that had grown stagnant in recent years after appearing to be on an upward trajectory through the first three games of the 2022 season.

His hiring signifies a change in the program’s culture that’s seen a high amount of turnover not only with its on the field product but inside the locker room.

At 40 years-old, Golesh becomes Arkansas’ youngest first-time power conference coach since Houston Nutt and first offensively ecentric hire since Bobby Petrino following the 2007 season.

His career includes roles coaches such as Jim Tressel, Mike Gundy, Tim Beckman and Josh Heupel, with whom he helped engineer Tennessee’s resurgence through a tempo-driven system that ranked among the nation’s most efficient attacks.

During his first season at the helm of South Florida in 2023, Golesh took a program that finished 1–11 the year before and improved it to 7–6, one of the strongest turnarounds in the American Conference History.

Speaking during his rise at USF, Golesh described his coaching foundation as “building sustainable habits rather than temporary sparks.” That philosophy aligns with Arkansas athletics director Hunter Yurachek’s repeated emphasis on program stability.

The Razorbacks’ search was expected to lean toward established Power Five names, but broadened to successful Group of Five conference coaches. The coaching landscape has shifted rapidly in previous years thinks to NIL, transfer portal and other happenings.

ESPN analyst Greg McElroy praised Golesh’s potential earlier recently, noting that “his system demands discipline but creates accessibility for young quarterbacks to grow quickly. For a program seeking stability behind center, that trait held value to Arkansas as a promising move goinf forward.

Arkansas’ offense has been productive this season as a top 15 unit, but undisciplined play such as penalties and turnovers hampered what could’ve been a stepping stone year for the program.

Golesh’s history suggests immediate attention to structure, tempo, and simplifying reads to open the field horizontally. His Tennessee offenses produced some of the nation’s highest yards-per-attempt numbers, while his USF unit jumped from No. 123 nationally to No. 24 in total offense in just one season.

Golesh built recruiting momentum quickly at South Florida, securing one of the program’s highest-rated classes by leaning on relationships in Florida high schools and emphasizing early play opportunities.

Arkansas’ roster is a mix of young skill-position talent and transfer-era fluidity, which should appeal to Golesh’s preference for versatility. Should he opt to keep current assistants onboard, offensvie line coach Eric Mateos would certainly be an option given several of his commits remain on board throughout the coaching transition.

Mateos’ unit has continued to improve over the past two seasons, giving up less sacks and pressures against SEC competition.

Golesh’s demeanor has often been described as methodical, detail-driven, and rooted in teaching, which can be a culture changing method inside the Arkansas football facility.

His experience constructing offenses around transferable concepts may allow for a quicker cultural transition. His track record in elevating quarterbacks is particularly relevant for an Arkansas team that struggled to find long-term rhythm behind center.

Arkansas dismissed Sam Pittman after a 2-3 start to the college football season, capped by a 56-13 home loss to Notre Dame.

“I feel a change is necessary to put our student-athletes and program in the best position to be successful,” said athletic director Hunter Yurachek in a statement. “The goal for our football program is to be highly competitive within the Southeastern Conference and compete for a national championship.”

Offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino was installed as interim while beginning a national search.

Kane Wommack, currently Alabama’s defensive coordinator and a former South Alabama head coach, has been publicly linked to the candidates for Arkansas’ vacancy.

On Tuesday, On3 insider Pete Nakos took it further, listing Wommack as “in the mix” for Arkansas among nine Power Conference openings, suggesting there’s a strong chance he could be hired.

Wommack, 38, rose through the college ranks after playing at Arkansas and Southern Miss. 

He held stops as a graduate assistant at Jacksonville State (2011) and Ole Miss (2012-13), coordinator roles at Eastern Illinois (2014-15) and South Alabama (2016-17), and a defensive coordinator stint at Indiana (2019-20), before his head-coaching tenure at South Alabama (2021-2023).

His head-coaching record at South Alabama was 22-16 with a bowl record of 1–1; the 2022 Jags went 10–3, a program high, and won the Sun Belt West Division championship.

He was hired as Alabama’s defensive coordinator beginning in 2024, and has since been the architect being the Tide’s top-10 scoring defense (16.2 points allowed per game).

Wommack’s resume checks several boxes Arkansas would value: SEC experience, recent success turning around South Alabama (10-win season), a defensive pedigree that could shore up Arkansas’ struggles, and recruiting ties in the Southeast. 

Any Arkansas offer would likely be a significant raise and include a buyout for Alabama.

Insiders covering the Arkansas search have signaled that a resolution could come within days as the school moves to finalize a hire before the early signing period and bowl-season recruiting windows. 

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