Alex Golesh describes big picture of installing Josh Heupel’s offense at Tennessee

Alex Golesh will serve as offensive coordinator and tight ends coach on Josh Heupel’s staff at Tennessee.

Alex Golesh will serve as offensive coordinator and tight ends coach on Josh Heupel’s staff at Tennessee.

He served as co-offensive coordinator and tight ends coach for Heupel at UCF in 2020.

Golesh met with media Wednesday and discussed an uptempo offense that he and Heupel are bringing to Tennessee.

“The way we play is unique and it’s been publicized by the people that saw what we were doing at UCF,” Golesh said. “You have to start a big picture on how we play, schematically and tempo, and then start to hone in on the run game and the passing game.

“We’ve already started on the big picture and then working back down on the fine details on how we operate. Being unique, that’s where it all started. Lining up, splits, tempo, how we call things. You’re starting at ground zero because it’s so different from what the guys that have been here are used to. As we get closer to spring, we want to fine tune the fundamental technique part that we’re doing. We want to start at that big picture standpoint then break it down into smaller pieces.”

Central Florida co-offensive coordinator and tight ends coach Alex Golesh watches warmups before an NCAA college football game against Tulsa, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2020, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

Golesh also discussed how long it would take for players to be comfortable in executing the style of play within the offense.

“Until you get out there and do it day one of spring ball, day one of March or mid-March, until you get out there and physically see it, control it, run it, I think it’s hard to simulate how fast we want to play,” he said. “You’re teaching it, explaining it and walking through it, but I think until there is wood on the fire and you’re out there with no coaches around, I think it’s really hard.

“My hope is by practice four, five or six of spring we are hitting at a high tempo, but like any scheme it doesn’t matter because it’s repetition over everything. The more reps these guys get, the better we are going to be and it’s just force-feeding their program and letting these kids make mistakes and correcting them off the film. The hope is by the middle of spring that we’re operating at a high level. We’re just going to continue coaching and it’s a process-based deal in terms of building the offense. By the time we get to August and September, we’ll be hitting on all cylinders.”

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2022 Florida tight end CJ Hawkins offered by Vols

Tennessee Vols’ football recruiting news.

Tennessee is in pursuit of recruiting towards its 2022 signing class under first-year head coach Josh Heupel.

The Vols have offered 2022 tight end CJ Hawkins.

The 6-foot-7, 220-pound tight end is from Berkeley Preparatory School in Tampa, Florida.

“Extremely blessed to receive an offer from the University of Tennessee,” Hawkins said on Twitter.

https://twitter.com/IHOOPCJ/status/1359124237693423617?s=20

Central Florida co-offensive coordinator and tight ends coach Alex Golesh watches warmups before an NCAA college football game against Tulsa, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2020, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

Hawkins referenced new Tennessee assistant coach Alex Golesh after being offered.

Golesh served as co-offensive coordinator and tight ends coach at UCF under Heupel. Golesh has not been officially introduced as a Tennessee assistant.

Tennessee currently does not have a commitment for its 2022 recruiting class.

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2022 Florida tight end CJ Hawkins offered by Vols

Tennessee Vols’ football recruiting news.

Tennessee is in pursuit of recruiting towards its 2022 signing class under first-year head coach Josh Heupel.

The Vols have offered 2022 tight end CJ Hawkins.

The 6-foot-7, 220-pound tight end is from Berkeley Preparatory School in Tampa, Florida.

“Extremely blessed to receive an offer from the University of Tennessee,” Hawkins said on Twitter.

Central Florida co-offensive coordinator and tight ends coach Alex Golesh watches warmups before an NCAA college football game against Tulsa, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2020, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

Hawkins referenced new Tennessee assistant coach Alex Golesh after being offered.

Golesh served as co-offensive coordinator and tight ends coach at UCF under Heupel. Golesh has not been officially introduced as a Tennessee assistant.

Tennessee currently does not have a commitment for its 2022 recruiting class.

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Kaden Helms offered by Tennessee

Tennessee Vols’ football recruiting news.

Josh Heupel has offered a pair of tight ends from Nebraska.

Kaden Helms joins teammate Micah Riley-Ducker in receiving an offer from the Vols.

The two tight ends play for Bellevue West High School in Bellevue, Nebraska.

The 6-foot-5, 222-pound Helms fields Power Five offers from Tennessee, Arizona State, Florida State, Illinois, Iowa, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Purdue, TCU and Texas Tech.

Helms referenced new Tennessee assistant coach Alex Golesh after being offered.

Golesh served as co-offensive coordinator and tight ends coach at UCF under Heupel. Golesh has not been officially introduced as Tennessee’s assistant.

Tennessee currently does not have a commitment in its 2022 recruiting class.

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Tight end Micah Riley-Ducker offered by Tennessee, thanks Vols’ new assistant coach

Tennessee Vols’ football recruiting news.

First-year Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel is in the process of recruiting towards the Vols’ 2022 class.

Heupel has offered 2022 tight end Micah Riley-Ducker.

The 6-foot-6, 235-pound tight end is from Bellevue West High School in Bellevue, Nebraska.

He has Southeastern Conference offers from Tennessee, Arkansas, Auburn and Missouri.

Riley-Ducker thanked new Tennessee assistant coach Alex Golesh after being offered.

Golesh served as co-offensive coordinator and tight ends coach at UCF under Heupel. Golesh has not been officially introduced as Tennessee’s assistant.

“After a call with Coach Golesh, I am extremely happy to announce I have received a scholarship offer from The University of Tennessee,” Riley-Ducker said on Twitter.

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Josh Heupel’s coaching staff has connection with NCAA Division I Committee on Infractions

Danny White was hired as Tennessee’s athletics director on Jan. 22.

Danny White was hired as Tennessee’s athletics director on Jan. 22.

White has since launched a search to hire the Vols’ next football head coach.

The search is taking place as the UT football program is having an ongoing internal investigation to alleged recruiting wrongdoings from the previous staff.

White came to Tennessee after serving in the same capacity at Central Florida. White hired Josh Heupel as the Knights’ head coach ahead of the 2018 season.

Heupel is now a candidate to become Tennessee’s next head coach.

Tennessee’s coaching search showcased Minnesota’s P.J. Fleck as a candidate. Vols Wire previously detailed how Fleck coming to Tennessee could benefit the Vols when presenting findings of wrongdoings to the NCAA jury.

Fleck has a connection with the NCAA Division I Committee on Infractions.

The Minnesota head coach played for Joe Novak at Northern Illinois. Novak is part of the jury that serves on the NCAA Division I Committee on Infractions.

Fleck has since elected to remain at Minnesota and Heupel has become a strong candidate at Tennessee.

Joe Novak head coach of the Northern Illinois Huskies looks on during a game against the Ohio State Buckeyes on September 2, 2006 at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. Ohio State won the game 35-12. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Central Florida co-offensive coordinator and tight ends coach Alex Golesh watches warmups before an NCAA college football game against Tulsa, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2020, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

Heupel’s UCF coaching staff also has a connection with Novak.

UCF co-offensive coordinator and tight ends coach Alex Golesh coached for Novak at Northern Illinois from 2006-07. Novak retired following the 2007 season.

The former Northern Illinois head coach discussed Tennessee’s internal investigation with Vols Wire last month.

“Schools are NCAA members, so if they find a violation on campus, they are obligated to turn themselves in,” Novak told Vols Wire.“Since this thing is so public, I am sure the NCAA is aware of it. Technically, Tennessee has an obligation, after they review it, if they find that there are violations, they are obligated to turn themselves in.”

Novak previously joined the show “Tennessee Two-A-Days” and can be listened to here or below.

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