USF Football Names Harper Executive Director of Recruiting and Personnel
Former Vanderbilt player has worked at Alabama, Colorado, Houston and Vanderbilt
TAMPA, FLA., MARCH 5, 2025 – University of South Florida Football Head Coach Alex Golesh has announced the addition of Harding Harper as executive director of recruiting and personnel for USF Football.
“We’re excited to welcome Harding to the USF family,” Golesh said. “He has experience at several high-level programs and possesses the leadership qualities to continue to build our recruiting efforts. He is an elite addition to our staff as we continue to build a roster to compete with anyone in the country.”
A former linebacker at Vanderbilt (2012-15), Harper comes to USF after stops at Alabama, Colorado, Houston and his alma mater.
He served the 2024 season on the staff at Vanderbilt as director of college scouting as the Commodores went 7-6 and won the Birmingham Bowl.
He returned to Nashville following one season as assistant director of player personnel at Alabama, where he helped the Crimson Tide secure the nation’s No. 2 recruiting class in December 2023. He also served as assistant director of player personnel at Houston in 2022 following the 2021 season at Colorado in scouting.
Harper also spent time at Lycoming College (linebackers coach), Missouri (graduate assistant) and Centennial High School in Atlanta where he was assistant defensive coordinator, coached linebackers and served as the school’s recruiting coordinator.
He played linebacker for the Commodores from 2012-15. His freshman and sophomore seasons were two of the most successful in school history, with the Commodores winning nine games and a bowl game each season.
In 2024, USF capped its second-straight winning season with a second-straight bowl victory, downing San Jose State 41-39 in a five-overtime thriller in the Hawai’i Bowl on Dec. 24. The Bulls are one of just 15 teams to have posted a bowl or College Football Playoff win in each of the past two seasons and the only one to have scored 40 or more points in each of those victories.
Up Next:
The Bulls open spring practice on March 25 with the annual USF Pro Day following on March 26. The USF Spring Game is set for April 26at Corbett Stadium on the USF campus.
Former Vanderbilt player has worked at Alabama, Colorado, Houston and Vanderbilt
TAMPA, FLA., MARCH 5, 2025 – University of South Florida Football Head Coach Alex Golesh has announced the addition of Harding Harper as executive director of recruiting and personnel for USF Football.
“We’re excited to welcome Harding to the USF family,” Golesh said. “He has experience at several high-level programs and possesses the leadership qualities to continue to build our recruiting efforts. He is an elite addition to our staff as we continue to build a roster to compete with anyone in the country.”
A former linebacker at Vanderbilt (2012-15), Harper comes to USF after stops at Alabama, Colorado, Houston and his alma mater.
He served the 2024 season on the staff at Vanderbilt as director of college scouting as the Commodores went 7-6 and won the Birmingham Bowl.
He returned to Nashville following one season as assistant director of player personnel at Alabama, where he helped the Crimson Tide secure the nation’s No. 2 recruiting class in December 2023. He also served as assistant director of player personnel at Houston in 2022 following the 2021 season at Colorado in scouting.
Harper also spent time at Lycoming College (linebackers coach), Missouri (graduate assistant) and Centennial High School in Atlanta where he was assistant defensive coordinator, coached linebackers and served as the school’s recruiting coordinator.
He played linebacker for the Commodores from 2012-15. His freshman and sophomore seasons were two of the most successful in school history, with the Commodores winning nine games and a bowl game each season.
In 2024, USF capped its second-straight winning season with a second-straight bowl victory, downing San Jose State 41-39 in a five-overtime thriller in the Hawai’i Bowl on Dec. 24. The Bulls are one of just 15 teams to have posted a bowl or College Football Playoff win in each of the past two seasons and the only one to have scored 40 or more points in each of those victories.
Up Next:
The Bulls open spring practice on March 25 with the annual USF Pro Day following on March 26. The USF Spring Game is set for April 26at Corbett Stadium on the USF campus.
