Alex Golesh is in his first season as Tennessee’s offensive coordinator and tight ends coach under newly-hired head coach Josh Heupel.
Golesh comes to Tennessee after serving in the same capacity at UCF in 2020 under Heupel.
After earning a degree at Ohio State and serving as a student assistant, his coaching career began as a graduate assistant at Northern Illinois in 2006.
Golesh spent two seasons at Northern Illinois under head coach Joe Novak. In 2006, he served as a graduate assistant video coordinator and as an offensive graduate assistant in 2007.
Novak retired following the 2007 season and Golesh would further his coaching career at Oklahoma State, Toledo, Illinois and Iowa State before working under Heupel.
“I think he will do a good job,” Novak told Vols Wire of Golesh coaching at Tennessee.
Golesh was recommended to Novak by a friend and the former Northern Illinois head coach hired him to be part of the Huskies’ program.
“He was doing GA-type work and was very conscientiousness,” Novak said of Golesh. “He was a hard-worker. I hired him and he did a nice job with us and then I retired.
“He was hard-working, very sharp, intelligent guy and I thought he could do well in coaching if he would continue to work that way — which he obviously has. He has done very well for himself. I was impressed with his work ethic as a graduate assistant, his intelligence and where he could go.”
Novak’s coaching tree remains a staple throughout the sport. The likes of Brandon Staley (Los Angeles Chargers), Pat Narduzzi (Pittsburgh), Thomas Hammock (Northern Illinois), P.J. Fleck (Minnesota) and Sam Pittman (Arkansas) are current head coaches.
“It is always fun to follow the guys that worked for me,” Novak said. “I have about 45 of them coaching in college and pro.”
Novak served as Northern Illinois’ head coach from 1996-2007. He played at Miami University under head coach Bo Schembechler.
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