Alex Golesh Defines Successful Year One with Auburn Tigers

Fans of the Auburn Tigers are getting desperate, and you really cannot blame them. The team has not turned in a winning season since the program fired head coach Gus Malzahn, way back in 2020, and though Alex Golesh is looking to change that, he said at the SEC Spring Meetings this week that his priorities do not lie in the wins column.

“I think if we leave year one and we’ve laid a foundation with truly an identity, I think it’s a successful year one,” Golesh said. “I’m gonna get judged on wins and losses. I know that, that’s the game we choose to coach, but we gotta have an identity.”

This, admittedly, may not be what Auburn fans are looking to hear after such an abysmal stretch of seasons, but Golesh’s focus on long-term success over short-term wins may end up being what separates him from prior Auburn head coaches.

Unlike Hugh Freeze, who built what was essentially a superteam of receivers that never seemed to find their footing, Golesh is seemingly more focused on the culture quality and team chemistry within his roster, which should bode well for the Tigers in the future.

Due to this approach, the Auburn faithful will likely never have to hear Golesh say, “We’re so close,” which is, at least, a small win for trauma-inflicted Tiger fans who watched their team collapse last year despite constant reassurance from the team’s head coach.

However, it has been said that Auburn fans are some of the least patient in the sports world, and you really cannot blame them after such an awful stretch of seasons. Understandably, Tiger fans want to see their team succeed as soon as possible, which could clash with Golesh’s mentality towards the season.

However, the Tigers have built a roster that should be able to compete well, particularly on the backs of top-level players such as USF transfer quarterback Byrum Brown and senior Auburn returner Jeremiah Cobb, while a host of former USF receivers now headline the Tigers’ passing attack.

Additionally, Golesh has certainly lived out the philosophy he has been talking about, as he has already begun to build a top-level recruiting class, full of players from different states, positions, rankings and more. When those players, or any recruit, for that matter, are asked about Auburn, they just about always say that the coaching staff is one of the best groups they have seen, a facet that bodes well for the Tigers’ future.

However, if Tiger fans are looking for quick wins and an SEC Championship-caliber season, they may have to temper their expectations, despite what players on the roster have said.

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