Ever since Sam Pittman's 9-4 season in 2021, everything started to go downhill, leaving the Arkansas fanbase wondering when they may move on. This season as Arkansas started the season 2-3, the Razorbacks finally pulled the plug on the Pittman era, and set their sights on hiring their next head coach.
When Arkansas made the decision, it looked like the timing could've been terrible, as LSU, Florida, Penn State, and Auburn all also made the move, seemingly jumping the Razorbacks in line for the next big head coach. It turns out, while everyone is looking to hire Lane Kiffin or Jon Sumrall, Arkansas may have made the best hiring of the cycle.
Alex Golesh will get Arkansas back into SEC contention
On Wednesday Morning, Arkansas hired USF Bulls head coach Alex Golesh, as first reported by Trey Schaap.
SOURCES: @CoachGolesh has accepted an offer to be the next Head Coach of @RazorbackFB pic.twitter.com/RQPfCu79aT
— Trey Schaap (@TreySchaap) November 26, 2025
Golesh is finishing up his third season as a head coach with the USF Bulls posting a career 22-15 record and a 13-10 record in AAC play. The 6 losses in 2024 can almost be fully excused as quarterback Byrum Brown was injured derailing the entire team.
Alex Golesh has brought the USF program back to relevance and winning after Jeff Scott and Charlie Strong both failed in the role. While the Bulls will miss the College Football Playoff this season, Alex Golesh had his team well into contention this season.
If you're an Arkansas fan, all you need to look at is the way the Bulls have played against the same SEC teams that Arkansas has been trying to beat every season with little success. Twice, Alex Golesh has taken his USF teams up against Alabama and pushed the Crimson Tide to the brink, while he also beat the Florida Gators this year.
Hiring Golesh isn't a massive risk, either, given the fact that he already has coaching experience in the SEC. Golesh served as the offensive coordinator for Tennessee, where the Volunteers shattered records.
The Razorbacks may not have won the Lane Kiffin sweepstakes, but they landed a great head coach who will give this team the best chance they've had to start pushing for the College Football Playoff.