Challenges Haven't Dampened Intrigue of Auburn's Alex Golesh Hire

While it's easy to have doubts, some feel that what Alex Golesh is doing shows that things can be different

The Auburn Tigers' head coach is getting the benefit of the doubt early on | John Reed-Imagn Images

It’s been a difficult set of seasons for the Auburn Tigers, who’re now on their third head coach since Gus Malzahn was fired in 2020. Bryan Harsin’s team fell flat on its face, Hugh Freeze was never able to get his highly talented team over the hump and now Alex Golesh looks to be the solution to Auburn’s struggles.

For many Auburn fans, though, things are still uncertain surrounding Golesh. Did the program make the right decision to hire a coach with no SEC head coaching experience? 

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CBS Sports’ Brad Crawford weighed in as part of an article detailing each coaching hire, in which he put Golesh under the category of “Intriguing despite challenges.”

“Quarterback Byrum Brown is one of 13 former USF starters to follow Golesh to The Plains, giving Auburn reason for optimism next season,” Crawford said. “Golesh's decision to retain D.J. Durkin is a net-positive for Auburn, which should be stout on the defensive side of the football. Golesh has obvious previous SEC experience as a play-caller at Tennessee, but it's a different animal when you're in charge.”

On paper, Golesh has the relevant experience, but being the head coach of an SEC program is a completely different challenge that many have tried and failed to find success in. Golesh doesn’t quite make headlines with his recruiting like Hugh Freeze did, but he seems to have found a squad that works for him.

He’s also set himself up for success by bringing in his former quarterback, Byrum Brown, from USF, along with a host of others. Brown stands out significantly from the rest, though, as he posted over 3,000 yards passing and over 1,000 yards rushing in 2025. He’s already garnered comparisons to legendary Auburn quarterback Cam Newton, so expectations are high for him on the Plains.

Auburn’s made a habit of bringing in coaches with little top-level head coaching experience, and it’s yet to work out for them. However, Golesh could quite well be different in the modern landscape of the transfer portal and recruiting, as we’ve seen coaches like Curt Cignetti take the league by storm despite little Power Four experience.

After all, you can’t hit a home run without fear of striking out.