‘Those are two of the most competitive human beings I’ve ever seen’ – Insider dishes on the relationship between Josh Heupel and Alex Golesh
Former Vols offensive coordinator Alex Golesh will return to Neyland Stadium this weekend when Tennessee takes on Auburn.
Former Tennessee offensive coordinator Alex Golesh will return to Neyland Stadium this weekend when Auburn visits for a matchup against the Vols.
Golesh, who served as Josh Heupel’s offensive coordinator at Tennessee in 2021 and 2022 (and 2020 at UCF), was hired as Auburn’s head coach last winter after spending three seasons as the head coach at USF.
This weekend will mark Golesh’s first trip back to Neyland Stadium since the Vols’ win over Missouri in 2022.
Earlier this week, Golesh offered plenty of praise for Heupel.
“I’ve got so much respect for Coach Heupel,” said Golesh. “He gave me an opportunity in 2020, and brought me with him to Tennessee. He changed in a lot of ways how I look at offensive football, and how I look at just running a program. [He is] really high-end smart and a really phenomenal leader. I’ve got a ton of respect for him. He has certainly been a really good friend.
“He was really good to me when I was with him. He helped me in a lot of ways to one, get my first opportunity to be a head coach. He supported me all through that. He’s a really good human being. Incredible family — really good people. I’ve rooted for him from a distance, and obviously this week the challenge at hand is to go get the win. But I have a ton of respect, and not just for coach, but so many people on that staff. The majority of that offensive staff, we were all together. There’s guys on that defensive staff that I’ve got a ton of respect for. I’ve got nothing but high-end things (to say) about coach.”
Vols insider speaks on relationship between Alex Golesh and Josh Heupel
There’s clearly a lot of respect between Golesh and Heupel, but it doesn’t sound like they’re hanging out together during the offseason or texting each other on the regular.
And it’s not that there’s any bad blood, it’s that the two coaches are simply wrapped up in their own worlds and neither pays much attention to anything outside of football and family.
“This week, it’s ‘no relationship,’ because those are two of the most competitive human beings I’ve ever seen in my life,” said VolQuest’s Brent Hubbs on 104.5 The Zone’s Ramon and Will when asked about the relationship between Golesh and Heupel. “And I think even outside of this week, those two guys are very competitive. I think they have respect for each other, but they’re not going to the lake house in the offseason to vacation together. I don’t think either one of them has any hobbies outside of football, to be frank with you.”
I don’t think any of that comes as much of a surprise to Vols fans. It’s evident that Heupel is all about ball. He isn’t interested in doing a bunch of media or politicking. He just wants to coach football. And Golesh, despite his long-winded press conferences (which are quite insightful), is the same way.
So yes, there’s plenty of respect between the two coaches, and they obviously worked well together at Tennessee, but they aren’t laying on the couch at night yapping at each other on the phone like Ricky Bobby and Cal Naughton Jr. in Talladega Nights.
