South Florida coach calls Boise State ‘The standard of what culture and identity should look like’

South Florida head coach Alex Golesh praised Boise State’s sustained success during a recent press conference. The Bulls host the Broncos at 3:30 p.m. Mountain time on Thursday in the 2025 opener for both teams. 

“Without being there, it’s really hard to tell (how they’ve done it),” the 41-year-old Golesh said. “I got a chance to coach against them, shoot this was years ago. I’m dating myself here: the last time I played them, their quarterback (Kellen Moore) is now the head coach of the New Orleans Saints.

“But you think of the level of consistency, when you’ve done it that long, that’s true culture. Where guys come in, learn from the guys before them and then carry the torch and teach the guys who come after them. I would imagine just the standard that’s in that building, the standard that’s in that athletic department, I would imagine that it’s at a pretty elite clip in terms of culture and the type of people they bring in. And certainly the type of leadership they bring in (fits) a profile that fits that culture.”

Golesh said he wants to emulate many of the things Boise State football is known for: toughness, limiting mistakes and doing things the right way.

The Broncos have reached the Fiesta Bowl four times and hold a 3-1 record in the bowl game. 

“All the things that when you think of Boise State, go back to Dirk Koetter as the head coach and then into coach Petersen and coach Harsin and now Spencer and what he’s doing,” Golesh said. “As you build — and I’m not comparing programs — more so that’s the standard of what culture and identity should look like.”

Golesh also praised Danielson, who holds a 15-3 overall record with the Broncos. 

“I’ve got a ton of respect for that crew,” Golesh said. “I got a chance to meet Spencer this May out at meetings in Arizona, and he certainly seems like a first-class dude that runs a program the right way.”