Bruce Feldman: Tennessee offensive coordinator Alex Golesh name to watch for Cincinnati head coach

Alex Golesh could be a prime candidate for the job opening at Cincinnati, according to Bruce Feldman of FOX and The Athletic.

Per Feldman, the Tennessee offensive coordinator is one of the premier names to replace the Luke Fickell-sized hole for the Bearcats.

“Golesh grew up in Dublin, Ohio, near Columbus, and began his career as a student assistant on Jim Tressel’s staff at Ohio State,” wrote Feldman. “He then helped Campbell get things rolling at Iowa State and before going to UCF with Josh Heupel.

“The 38-year-old, who handles play-calling duties for the Vols, had a key role in the prorgam going from No. 102 in total offense to No. 7 in 2021 to No. 1 this year. The Broyles Award finalist is another prime candidate.”

Cincinnati is in a much better spot than when Fickell originally came to campus, having a College Football Playoff appearance on their resume and preparing to join the Big 12. If the Bearcats offer Golesh the opportunity, it could be too good for the offensive coordinator to turn down.

Over the course of his career, Golesh has never been the leader of a football team, but his fingerprints have been all over some of the top programs in the nation. As Feldman mentioned, he has experience at Ohio State, Iowa State, UCF and Tennessee, and has done a great job in every one of his stops.

Still, Cincinnati is going to do an exhaustive search, as they’re not looking to take a step backwards by losing Fickell. Perhaps Golesh’s inexperience leading a team could work against him in that right, but time will tell.

Some team will give Alex Golesh a chance to lead their football program after the success he’s had during his career. Whether it’s Cincinnati or another program in the future, whichever program it is will be happy they did so.