Tennessee Vols OC Alex Golesh explains what's most difficult about coaching in the SEC
Tennessee Vols offensive coordinator Alex Golesh spoke on Saturday about the specific challenges that come with coaching in the SEC. Golesh, who has previous Power-5 experience at Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Illinois, and Iowa State, is in his second season as an SEC assistant. And he doesn't think the on-field coaching is any different than […]
Tennessee Vols offensive coordinator Alex Golesh spoke on Saturday about the specific challenges that come with coaching in the SEC.
Golesh, who has previous Power-5 experience at Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Illinois, and Iowa State, is in his second season as an SEC assistant. And he doesn't think the on-field coaching is any different than it is in other conferences.
"I don't think there's a difference in levels of coaching," said Golesh on Saturday.
Now, that doesn't mean that Golesh doesn't see a big difference when it comes to coaching in the SEC. It's just that the major differences are off-the-field — specifically in recruiting.
"Where it's different, at the Power Five level, and certainly at this level (the SEC), is the recruiting," explained Golesh. "So, it's not just, man you got this position group of these guys like 'Hey, you better go sign three to four a year that are dudes'."
Recruiting is truly what separates the SEC from other conferences. If you're a coach in the SEC and you're not recruiting 24/7/365 then you're probably not going to be a coach in the SEC for long.
Because ultimately, it doesn't matter how good a coach is in the SEC if they don't have elite talent — it's nearly impossible to out-scheme world-class athletes.
Golesh and the rest of the Vols' coaching staff understand that element, which is why we're starting to see Tennessee recruiting blossom under head coach Josh Heupel.
Featured image via Saul Young/News Sentinel via Imagn Content Services
