TAMPA, Fla — The USF football program enters the 2024 season with high expectations for the first time since coming off a 10-win campaign in 2017. Second-year head coach Alex Golesh led a one-win team to seven victories and the Boca Raton Bowl title in his first season. The Bulls are picked to finish third in the AAC, but they admit their goal is to win a conference title. Golesh knows all about the outside expectations heaped on his players, but he says the most important expectations are internal.
"They all have cell phones. They all have social media. I have social media, so I see it. The players see it. They certainly watch TV. But when they walk in that building, that’s their inner circle," Golesh said when addressing how outside noise affects his team. "There’s not a greater expectation outside of here than there is inside our walls. And the only expectation we have is to make sure our process is perfect."
Golesh says his team has to earn the right to expect to win every week.
"Teams that get up and get down, up and get down- those are inconsistent teams," he explained. That was us a year ago. I can tell you from what the mock [game week] looked like for us a week ago, and then what today looked like, our guys are preparing like they’re going to play in the Super Bowl."
USF hosts Bethune-Cookman to kick off the regular season. The Wildcats are led by second-year head coach Raymond Woodie, Jr. He was an assistant coach at USF from 2013-'16. The Bulls won a school-record 11 games in his final season.
"We put a lot of time in that program. We had a lot of support and help building that program," Woodie recalled via video chat. "I had a really, really good time there. The administration was great. We won a lot of games."
Woodie said, like USF, his program has also taken a big leap since last year.
"The guys expect certain things without even me saying it," the Palmetto-native added. "Because it was almost like every day we had to teach them how to do things the right way. Taking pride in yourselves and in this program and changing the culture."
This is a huge stage for the Wildcats to try to pull off a massive upset, but Woodie says his philosophy won't change—despite walking out of the visitor's locker room.
"Fast as you can, hard as you can, long as you can, and don’t worry," he said bluntly. "If you do that every play, you know, you’ll have a shot. Just go out there and play. It’s the most important game because it’s the next game on our schedule."
USF and Bethune-Cookman kick off tomorrow night at 7 p.m. at Raymond James Stadium. The game will air on ESPN+.
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