Golesh Joins Iowa State Football Staff

AMES, Iowa - Alex Golesh, who spent the last four seasons at Illinois, will reunite with Iowa State head football coach Matt Campbell and join his Cyclone staff as tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator.

Golesh and Campbell were assistants on Toledo's staff from 2009-11.

“I had the opportunity to work with Alex at Toledo before he left for Illinois, and he laid a great foundation to the talent we had there,” Campbell said. “He has emerged nationally as one of the great recruiters right now and we are lucky to have him here at Iowa State.”

Golesh was the tight ends coach in 2013 and 2015, and worked with the Illini running backs in 2014. He was also recruiting coordinator from 2012-14 and worked with the special teams.

“I've worked with Matt before and I am beyond ecstatic to be a member of his coaching staff at Iowa State,” Golesh said. “Honestly, I've never met anybody that can lead a group of men, whether it's the players or staff, like Matt can. He's just a first-class human being and leader.”

Golesh helped running back Josh Ferguson rank among the nation's top all-purpose backs in 2014. He was one of only seven players in the nation with over 700 rushing yards and over 400 receiving yards. A preseason Doak Walker Award candidate, Ferguson had 1,162 yards from scrimmage in 2014 (735 rushing, 427 receiving) and recorded 10 TDs on the season (8 rushing, 2 receiving).

Golesh guided a productive group of tight ends that combined for 52 catches, 545 yards and eight touchdowns in 2013, including four touchdowns against Miami (Ohio), the most tight end TDs in a game in school history. He also helped punter Justin DuVernois to a solid season, as the junior posted a 41.1 yard-per-punt average with 10 over 50 yards and 13 downed inside the 20.

Golesh, who was named a top-10 recruiter in the Big Ten by Rivals.com and Scout.com in 2013 and 2015, guided DuVernois to a strong sophomore campaign in 2012 as he ranked fourth in the Big Ten in punting with a 41.9 yard-per-punt average, with a long of 72 yards, 16 fair catches, 19 punts downed inside the 20 yard line and 15 punts of 50 or more yards.

Golesh was on staff at Toledo for three years from 2009-2011, serving as both the tight ends coach and the recruiting coordinator. Golesh aided the UT program in securing the No. 1 recruiting class in the Mid-American Conference in consecutive years. The 2010 UT class was No. 1 according to Rivals.com, while both Rivals and Scout.com rated the 2011 class No. 1.

Golesh's tight ends served as key blockers in a Rocket rushing attack that ranked No. 3 in the MAC in both 2010 and 2011. In 2009, Golesh coached the running backs at Toledo, helping senior running back DaJuane Collins earn third-team All-MAC honors.

Prior to going to Toledo, Golesh spent three seasons as a graduate assistant, two at Northern Illinois (2006-07) and one at Oklahoma State. Golesh worked with the outside linebackers at Oklahoma State in 2008, helping the Cowboys to a 9-4 record and a berth in the Holiday Bowl. At NIU, Golesh worked for one season assisting with the secondary and one season with the offensive line, helping the Huskies make the 2006 Poinsettia Bowl.

Golesh got his start in the coaching business as a student assistant coach while attending Ohio State as an undergraduate. He spent 2 ½ years aiding the Buckeyes' defensive coaches, with responsibilities that included working with the defensive line. During his time at Ohio State, the Buckeyes claimed the 2005 Big Ten Championship and went on to earn a victory in the Fiesta Bowl over Notre Dame. OSU also posted a win in the 2004 Alamo Bowl over Oklahoma State.
Golesh also spent one year as a defensive line coach in a first-year football program at newly opened Westerville Central High School in 2002.

Golesh was born in Moscow, Russia, but grew up in Brooklyn, N.Y., and Dublin, Ohio, where he was a three-year letterwinner in football at Dublin Scioto High School. He earned a bachelor's degree in education from Ohio State in 2006.

Golesh and his wife, Alexis, have a daughter, Corbin, and a son, Barrett.

Coaching Experience
2016 Iowa State – Tight Ends, Recruiting Coordinator
2015 Illinois – Tight Ends, Special Teams
2014 Illinois – Running Backs, Recruiting Coordinator
2012-13 Illinois – Tight Ends, Recruiting Coordinator, Special Teams
2010-11 Toledo – Tight Ends, Recruiting Coordinator, Special Teams
2009 Toledo – Running Backs, Recruiting Coordinator, Special Teams
2008 Oklahoma State – Graduate Assistant
2006-07 Northern Illinois – Graduate Assistant
2004-05 Ohio State – Student Assistant
2003 – Westerville Central (OH) H.S. – Assistant

Iowa State University Athletics

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