Football has taken Kodi Burns, USF's new assistant head coach, to some unimaginably exciting places.

For the Auburn Tigers, he scored the opening touchdown in the 2010 Bowl Championship Series national-championship game, catching a 35-yard pass from Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton.

Six months later, he was selected to present an Auburn helmet and a No. 1 jersey to President Barack Obama at the White House. "As soon as he was elected, I remember telling people that one of my goals in life was to meet him,'' Burns said then.

Burns has worked on staff for six different college teams before spending two seasons as wide receivers coach for the NFL's New Orleans Saints.

While it's impossible to fit his exact title(s) on a marquee or an office nameplate — Assistant Head Coach/Co-Offensive Coordinator/Wide Receivers Coach — Burns said he believes his varied experiences will benefit the Bulls.

"I think God put me here for a reason,'' Burns said. "There's a lot of places you could be, but this is exactly where I want to be at right now.''

With USF players, Burns already has emerged as a trusted and admired confidante.

"I've always had an interest in playing for him,'' said Bulls wide receiver Chas Nimrod, who was recruited to Tennessee by Burns just before the coach left for the NFL. "You talk to anybody who has worked with him and they say he gives you confidence and he's a guy you want to play for.''

"He's an amazing coach and he has taught us so much already,'' Bulls wide receiver Keshaun Singleton said. "He knows what it takes to play in the league (NFL), so we're going to listen to that. He's showing us how to be physical, how to use our hands, all the little things. He's going to be a big help to us.''

Head coach Alex Golesh said he expects Burns to be a big help for USF's coaching staff as well. Golesh and Burns coached together on the Tennessee staff in 2021, so he jumped at the opportunity to add his expertise.

"Kodi has this calm confidence all the time — some people would call it swag — but he has always had a calming effect on me,'' Golesh said. "He's the same dude every day. He's a calming, confident voice in that room.

"Sometimes, we're in such a high-pressure environment, from a football side, from a recruiting side, from every side. The unique thing about Kodi is he has been there. He has been there, done that as a player and a coach. In a profession where it's a constant emotional roller coaster, you need people who can be calming. Kodi will be right next to me on the field.''

Burns said he takes the approach of being intentionally positive. He's still a much-loved former player at Auburn. He voluntarily switched out of quarterback to receiver because he believed it would help the team.

"I don't want to be constantly up and down,'' Burns said. "Players need consistency (from coaches). That builds confidence. If you know your coach is never going to be overzealous or super down on you, if you know what to expect every single day, that helps the player.

"My job is to be right there as AG's right-hand man, doing anything he needs for me to help him in that head-coaching role. Whether you're at South Florida or anywhere as a head coach these days, you got a lot of things on your plate. I'm here to help him and Coach Joel (Gordon, offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach) by bouncing off ideas in game-planning, practice ideas or whatever is needed.''

Gordon said the transition has been smooth.

At Tennessee, where Golesh served as offensive coordinator, Burns gained experience in the high-tempo attack that is now employed by USF.

"Kodi has been through all of this before, then he was exposed to things in the NFL,'' Gordon said. "Plus, he's a former quarterback who's coaching the wide receivers. Our guys (receivers) can hear things from a different perspective. He has played both positions, which is really rare at a high level.

"He's a really smart dude who has hit the ground running. He has brought good juice to our staff and a lot of good ideas. I think USF football got better when he joined our staff.''

Burns said he has watched USF football closely during Golesh's tenure and believes the Bulls have built a foundation that will last.
"Obviously, AG is a phenomenal coach, but a better human being,'' Golesh said. "I would love to be a head coach myself one day and once that opportunity presents itself, I'll definitely be ready. But I'm where my feet are right now and I'm here at South Florida.

 "I'm telling you, I think there's something special here in Tampa. I think we can get up on that (higher) level. We're on the right path and I think we're really close.''

–#GoBulls–