Tag: Alex Golesh

Alex Golesh details Vols’ competition at tackle during fall camp

Alex Golesh details Tennessee’s competition at tackle during fall camp.

Tennessee kicked off fall training camp Monday.

Ahead of the Vols’ first practice during fall training camp, second-year offensive coordinator and tight ends coach Alex Golesh discussed Tennessee’s competition at tackle on the offensive line.

“This is such a big question mark for us,” Golesh said. “Who is it going to be, is there a rotation there, or what’s it really going to look like? In a list of questions we have going into camp, that would be right up there. I think it’ll be exciting to see. Moving Darnell (Wright) over to right (tackle) kind of solidifies that side of it, and you feel pretty good, and then, letting Dayne (Davis), Gerald (Mincey) and JJ (Jeremiah Crawford) figure out who the second guy is and who can play over at left.

“We went through spring, left there feeling pretty good. I think just as important as who starts out there is who’s the third and the fourth. Last year, we got to the third and fourth pretty quick. You hope you don’t, but you have to have a third, a fourth and really even a fifth, and figuring out the depth there. Whoever’s going to be there on the left side, hasn’t played a whole lot of football. Dayne’s played the most. He gives us a veteran presence and some flexibility with being able to play inside, but JJ and Mincey are going to be guys that (contribute). Obviously, Mince hasn’t played any there for us, and JJ’s played really limited snaps. It’ll be a really good competition. We’re going to make it hard. We’re going to go. I think from a mental standpoint, both those guys are ready to roll. I think it’ll just be a matter of who can be the most consistent. We just got done talking through as a whole offense about who can string days together, that spot especially. Who can string days together, that’s who we’re going to roll with. We’ve rotated there before. Gosh, you’d feel good leaving camp if you said we have four at tackle that we can go play with. It’ll be a really interesting competition. It’ll be graded daily. They’ll both roll with the ones, Dayne will get some with the ones. Hopefully by that second scrimmage, by practice 12, you feel like okay, this is who it is. I would feel a lot better if we left saying we have seven or eight than saying, that’s our starting left tackle.”

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2022 Tennessee football: Alex Golesh previews fall camp

2022 Tennessee football: Alex Golesh previews fall training camp

Tennessee will kick off fall training camp Monday at Haslam Field.

Ahead of the Vols’ first fall training practice, second-year offensive coordinator and tight ends coach Alex Golesh met with media and previewed the 2022 season.

Tennessee went 7-6 in Josh Heupel’s first season as head coach in 2021, appearing in the TransPerfect Music City Bowl against Purdue.

The Vols will kick off its 2022 season Sept. 1 against Ball State at Neyland Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. EDT and SEC Network will televise the season-opening matchup.

PHOTOS: Vols signage returns to Neyland Stadium ahead of the 2022 football season

Golesh’s preview of Tennessee’s fall training camp can be watched below.

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How to watch Josh Heupel, Tim Banks, Alex Golesh at Vols’ media day

How to watch Josh Heupel, Tim Banks and Alex Golesh at Vols’ media day Sunday.

Tennessee will kick off fall training camp Monday at Haslam Field.

Second-year Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel will take part in the Vols’ football media day Sunday.

He is slated to hold a season preview press conference Sunday at 12:45 p.m. EDT.

Heupel will be followed at media day by defensive coordinator Tim Banks and offensive coordinator Alex Golesh.

Heupel, Banks and Golesh’s press conferences can be watched live on Tennessee’s Twitter and Facebook accounts, as well as Tennessee Athletics’ official YouTube page at YouTube.com/TennesseeAthletics.

Tennessee will kick off its 2022 season Sept. 1 against Ball State at Neyland Stadium (7 p.m. EDT, SEC Network).

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Alex Golesh details Princeton Fant, Jacob Warren in second year of Vols’ offense

Alex Golesh details Princeton Fant and Jacob Warren in their second year playing in Josh Heupel’s offense.

Tennessee kicked off spring practices March 22 at Haslam Field.

Following Tennessee’s third spring practice, offensive coordinator and tight ends coach Alex Golesh discussed Princeton Fant and Jacob Warren.

Fant and Warren are in their second season as tight ends in Josh Heupel’s offense.

“Both of them now have a year in the system,” Golesh said. “That’s a tough spot to play in this offense. You’re moving around. You’re playing a bunch of different places. Same as everybody else, there’s a year of it now under their belt. A year ago, you coach so much scheme and just understanding what’s actually happening. Now they can play fast.

“Jacob has gotten bigger. He’s up to 254 (pounds). Princeton’s in the 240s. Their bodies are right. They’re both healthy. They have a really good understanding of what’s going on. In that room, for us right now, we really just have to find a three and a four. That’s what we didn’t have a year ago and we struggled at times because of that. Being able to get big and play in bigger sets at times, cost us a couple times, so beyond those two, it’s finding a three and a four there — that way we can get big and change formations based on personnel there.”

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Spring practices: Hendon Hooker has really good understanding of Vols’ offense

Spring football practices: Hendon Hooker has a really good understanding of Tennessee’s offense

Redshirt senior Hendon Hooker returns as Tennessee’s starting quarterback in 2022.

Tennessee kicked off spring practices March 22 at Haslam Field.

Following the Vols’ third practice on Saturday, offensive coordinator and tight ends coach Alex Golesh discussed Hooker and his impact on Tennessee’s offense.

“You know who the guy is going into it, so it helps you as you game plan,” Golesh said of Hooker. “Him and Joe (Milton) really aren’t drastically different in terms of skillset, so we didn’t have to change drastically there when that change happened.

“In terms of input in the offense, he now has a really good understanding of it. He’ll speak up. He’s not a big ask you for things guy, more of a tell you what he doesn’t want guy. He has the same input he had a year ago. If there’s something he doesn’t like, we won’t do it. Obviously, it’s all about him being comfortable back there.”

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Tennessee spring practices: Alex Golesh details Vols’ wide receiver unit

Tennessee spring football practices: Alex Golesh details the Vols’ wide receiver unit

Tennessee has completed its first week of spring practices.

Following the Vols’ third practice on Saturday, second-year offensive coordinator and tight ends coach Alex Golesh met with media and discussed the team’s wide receiver unit.

Golesh mentioned Tennessee did not play a lot of wide receivers in 2021, settling in with who they felt comfortable with.

“We didn’t play a ton of guys there,” Golesh said. “As the season went, we kind of settled in with who we felt really comfortable with and I thought we got better when we did that. Now, we have to replace a couple guys. Those freshmen have been really, really impressive. Chas Nimrod stands out. He’s a guy, through three days, that said, ‘Get me the ball.’ Jimmy Holiday has made incredible growth. Jimmy Calloway has made incredible growth. Ramel Keyton has made incredible growth.

“What a difference a year makes. These guys know what they’re doing now, so they actually have a chance to show you what they’re capable of. I think, a year ago, they were still learning and playing slow. It was really hard to evaluate at that point, so we’re looking for six to seven guys on the perimeter that can get open and make a difference for us. There’s no secret to that part of it. If we have more than that, man, we’ll be cooking. Right now, we’re trying to get to six and seven outside guys that can help us do that.”

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Alex Golesh details Tayven Jackson grasping Vols’ offense through three spring practices

Alex Golesh details quarterback Tayven Jackson grasping the Vols’ offense through three spring practices.

Tennessee practiced for the third time during spring practices Saturday at Haslam Field.

Following practice, Tennessee offensive coordinator and tight ends coach Alex Golesh met with media. The second-year Tennessee offensive coordinator discussed freshman early enrollee quarterback Tayven Jackson.

Golesh said Jackson had a “really good day” in practice Saturday.

“Tayven is really, really fun to watch,” Golesh continued. “He’s a really good athlete. He’s got a really quick release. He’s really grasped the offense through three days well. It’ll be interesting to see, as things pile up, as you go into (practice) four, five and six – pads on today – what he actually looks like.”

Tayven Jackson (10) Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire

Golesh said it will be interesting when Tennessee scrimmages next week of how Jackson could look with coaches off the field.

“A superb athlete, has a really good understanding and has a really quick trigger,” Golesh continued in describing Jackson through three spring practices. “Everything we kind of hoped he would be, he certainly has been that so far. We’ve got to continue to put more on him and he’s got to continue to grow.

“We talked with him consistently stringing days together. Can he be better tomorrow than he was today? I know this sounds a little bit cliché, but wipe it clean, play the next play, wipe it clean, play the next play. He doesn’t seem to be bothered by a whole lot. He’s just kind of having fun. That kid won a ton of games in high school. He’s a winner, which is exactly what you want to recruit at that spot.”

The 6-foot-3, 200-pound Jackson signed with Tennessee on Dec. 15, 2021 during the early signing period. He is from Center Grove High School in Greenwood, Indiana.

Alex Golesh, Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire

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Alex Golesh discusses Vols’ spring practices

Offensive coordinator Alex Golesh discusses Tennessee’s spring football practices.

Tennessee kicked off spring practices Tuesday at Haslam Field.

The Vols will not hold its annual Orange & White spring game due to Neyland Stadium renovations.

In replace of the Vols’ Orange & White Game, the University of Tennessee announced plans for an All Vol Weekend.

All Vol Weekend will consist of a fan-friendly spring weekend featuring multiple UT teams in action and a fan fest tailgate, April 7-10.

Tennessee will have a football scrimmage April 9 at 1 p.m. EDT at Anderson Training Center and will be closed to the general public. There will be no live digital stream of the scrimmage.

Volunteer Village at Humanities Plaza will welcome fans and feature two big screens that will carry the scrimmage. In addition to live interviews with head coach Josh Heupel, VFLs and other guests on the screen, Volunteer Village will showcase food trucks, music and activities for all ages from noon-3 p.m. EDT.

Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire

The Vols practiced for the third time Saturday. Following Saturday’s practice, Tennessee offensive coordinator and tight ends coach Alex Golesh met with media.

Golesh’s media availability can be watched below.

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Tennessee assistant a new name for Miami’s offensive coordinator position

Tennessee assistant is a new name for Miami’s offensive coordinator position.

First-year head coach Mario Cristobal is continuing to assemble his staff at Miami after being hired by the Hurricanes in December.

The Hurricanes are looking to fill a vacant offensive coordinator position under Cristobal.

Tennessee offensive coordinator and tight ends coach Alex Golesh is a new name to know in filling the vacant position, per Gaby Urrutia of 247Sports.

Golesh came to Tennessee after serving in the same capacity at UCF in 2020 under Josh Heupel.

Former Northern Illinois head coach Joe Novak describes Alex Golesh as ‘very sharp, intelligent’

Follow us at @VolsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of University of Tennessee athletics.

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Alex Golesh provides evaluation of Vols’ offense through eight games

Tennessee offensive coordinator Alex Golesh provides evaluation of Vols’ offense through eight games.

Tennessee (4-4, 2-3 SEC) returns to action in Week 10 following an open date.

The Vols will play at Kentucky (6-2, 4-2 SEC) Saturday (7 p.m. EDT, ESPN2).

Ahead of Saturday’s contest, Tennessee offensive coordinator and tight ends coach Alex Golesh provided his evaluation of the Vols’ offense through eight games this season.

“Offensively, I feel like situational football we’ve gotten better and better,” Golesh said. “I think last week (against Alabama) we hit a hurdle there. I think part of that is the opponent, I think part of it is just as a whole how we played, but I think situational football wise we’ve done a good job in terms of red zone, third down. I think the biggest things I was anxious about in August was, our offensive is in, how are we able to play situationally? I think for us to be successful here in these last four weeks, that’s got to continue to improve. I think Week 3, Week 4, we finally kind of settled in on our personnel. I wish we had gotten there faster. We obviously didn’t and I think that cost us early. Obviously as a team we’ve moved on, but I think when you look back at what you’ve done and the body of work and truly have time to self-scout and look at what actually is good – I think from a personnel standpoint, us going and figuring our who our best 11 are, playing those guys and kind of living and dying with them. I think as a whole for us to continue to get better the situational football part has got to continue to be where it is. Obviously, you want to improve from a third down perspective. Continuing for us to be able to pick up our first first down, that’s really when you’ve seen us be able to play at the tempo we want to play. When we’ve been able to pick up a first down, we’ve generally had success on the drive in terms of scoring points. It’s when we’ve stalled out on first and second down that we’ve really stumbled and had to punt the football. I think the reduction in penalties from early on in the year, the reduction in turnovers, our defense has helped us drastically in the last five or six weeks, us not turning the football over the last five or six weeks at the rate we were early in the season.

“I think all of that comes with continuity, all of that comes with getting your best players on the field, settling in at the quarterback spot, all of that has kind of come together where we hit our stride. Like I said, the game a week ago, you could argue (we) probably took a step back, but for us to be able to move forward (we have to) be able to play penalty free football, and I’m talking pre-snap penalties. Those in-play penalties will happen. Aggressive penalties will happen, but it’s the false starts, the pre-snap alignment things I feel like we’ve cleaned up since guys have gotten more comfortable in the system and the pace of play. We’ve been able to get faster and faster as we’ve gone. Really proud of where we’re at, obviously huge four games (left). We’ve got to continue to grow, and this is when you find out what teams are all about is this last month in November. We’ve challenged our guys to finish the way you’re supposed to finish.”

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