Alex Golesh Ranked Low in National Media’s SEC Coach Rankings

Many fans of the Auburn Tigers believe that there is a football renaissance coming with new head coach Alex Golesh, who has already seemingly turned the culture of the program around in just a few short months since his hiring.

However, to the national media, you still have to prove yourself on the field before they will be willing to rank you among the best.

This, admittedly, is rather fair on their part, but it will be interesting to see how Golesh’s ranking changes throughout the 2026 season. After all, CBS Sports only ranked Golesh at No. 12 of 16 SEC head coaches, so there is plenty of room to improve, or even get worse, throughout 2026.

“Golesh feels like a needed course correction for a program burned by multiple failed coaching hires,” CBS Sports’ Brad Crawford wrote. “His rapid rise through the national ranks is rooted in offensive innovation, player development and an ability to establish a clear identity without excuses.”

Despite the fact that he has ranked Golesh so low, Crawford is the first to admit that Golesh could have massive implications on the long-term future of the program. However, as with all new coaching hires, Golesh is a risk, and his lack of proven SEC head coaching results is reflected in his rating.

“Golesh built credibility by maximizing talent and creating matchup problems under Heupel at Tennessee before leading at USF, traits Auburn desperately needs,” he continued. “More importantly, the Tigers appear aligned behind him… That matters after years of instability, mixed messages and short-term fixes. Auburn did not need another splashy gamble. Some may still view Golesh as a calculated risk of sorts, but the Tigers believed they've landed a builder with modern ideas. He gives them a chance at lasting traction.”

The Tigers have been through two–four, if you count interim–head coaches since they last turned in a winning season, and Golesh is looking to be where that streak ends. He has endlessly preached his program’s culture, from his introductory press conference all the way to SEC Media Days just a few weeks ago.

Golesh has also been ruthless in the recruiting ranks, nabbing recruits from many states and away from many top programs, but it will all need to come together over the next season or two for Golesh to be truly viewed as a long-term solution. Unfortunately, in college football, regardless of how good the optics are, you are stuck in limbo until you prove to either be a long-term head coach or just another failed Auburn experiment.

Sign up for our free Auburn Tigers newsletter and follow us on Facebook and X for the latest news!

Add us as a preferred source on Google