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Golesh, Bohanon looking hopeful as spring game approaches

Fans can see coach Alex Golesh’s debut at Corbett Stadium for free on April 14. ORACLE PHOTO/HANNAH HALILI

Coach Alex Golesh has been working nonstop since his hire in December, and now South Florida football fans will have the chance to see a first look at his new staff and roster at the spring game on April 14.

The official announcement of the game was sent in a press release on Monday. Golesh spoke about the plans surrounding the event during the live USF Football Radio Network show later that same day.

USF will be back on campus in Corbett Stadium at 7 p.m. for the first time since 2019. To accommodate for space, fans are encouraged to bring blankets to create sitting areas on the grass.

Golesh alluded that the location of the game was partly due to the Taylor Swift concerts occurring that weekend in the Bulls’ normal stomping grounds at Raymond James Stadium.

“Crazy to how we got to that, Andrew Warsaw reminded me that Taylor Swift was in town that weekend,” Golesh said.

“But we tried to do it to where it’s a cool event on a Friday night on campus. There’s something about having a Friday night game and being able to get a bunch of fans and recruits and they create a cool energy. There’s a bunch of stuff going on on campus at that point.”

South Florida will have 15 practices in total before its spring debut. Three of those practices will be held before spring break and the other 12 will take place in the days leading up to April 14.

When having new players working with new coaches, Golesh mentioned it can get overwhelming. However, he wants to leave the field having a better idea of who his roster is. 27 players with starting experience will return for USF and over 12 transfers have been committed after the transfer portal closed.

“I think the installation of what your base offense, defense and special teams looks like from a schematic standpoint [is priority],” Golesh said. “The culture of what our program is going to be. How we work, what practice looks like, how we take care of each other and the ability to stay healthy throughout.”

Junior quarterback Gerry Bohanon will miss the spring game due to rehab for his shoulder injury while playing Tulane on Oct. 15.

Despite not having the ability to play, Bohanon also spoke on the Monday night radio show to talk about how he has stepped up for his teammates in ways that don’t require him to throw the ball.

“I’ll be coaching again, getting as many mental reps as possible..,.being back there behind the guys helping everybody get in line and help with the plays,” Bohanon said. “Just observing everything. I’ll be able to do a lot of the reps besides [throwing] the ball so just taking advantage of being a mentor.”

On top of being a mentor, Bohanon has served as a key individual for what he thinks is a great recruiting class.

“I just want to see this program do well. I want to be the one to flip it around and be a part of that. So to help get all the guys that we want, the guys that we desire and just have those guys be on the same page with us.”

Even though he is spending ample time to support the team, Bohanon said he is excited to play for Golesh and his new staff when he is healthy enough to do so. Bohanon described Golesh’s offensive philosophy as a run-first offense complemented with a vertical passing game.

In combination with the new indoor performance facility, new teammates and his coaches’ attention to detail, Bohanon sees the coaching change as much needed for the program.

“You can look at last year’s film and the year before and you can say what you want to say. But, we know the work that we’re putting in. We have a staff that we believe in and they believe in us and so we’re gonna make sure we make that flip.”

The spring game is scheduled for April 14 at 7 p.m. at Corbett Stadium. It will be broadcast on ESPN+ and Bulls Unlimited.