ESPN Analyst Grades Auburn’s Alex Golesh Hire

The Auburn Tigers received kudos for their latest coaching hire based on his track record at USF

The Auburn Tigers are seen as having hired a solid option as head coach | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In the wake of back-to-back disappointing coaching tenures from Brian Harsin and Hugh Freeze with the Auburn Tigers, fans are seemingly desperate for the team to finally find a solution at the head coaching role. The Tigers took a stab at Alex Golesh after firing Hugh Freeze, and ESPN’s Bill Connelly believes the Tigers may have made a quality decision.

Connelly ranked the Golesh hire as a B+, or “perfectly sensible,” in his recent article in which he broke down each FBS hire in 2025.

“Golesh inherited a program [at USF] that had gone just 8-37 over the previous four seasons, and he immediately went 7-6 twice, then finished his run with a 9-3 team that was just six points away from 11-1,” Connelly said. “We'll see whether he can craft advantages from heavy tempo in a conference that has already seen plenty of it from Josh Heupel's Tennessee and Lane Kiffin's Ole Miss, but if you can win nine games at USF, you can win nine games at Auburn.”

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Things have gotten off to a bit of a rocky start on the Plains, as 21 players have announced their intent to enter the portal, including Ashton Daniels, who’d been the popular pick to fill the quarterback role in 2026.

That’s not to say Golesh doesn’t have a solution, though, as his former USF quarterback, Byrum Brown, announced just a day later that he’d also be entering the portal, leading many to believe Daniels was pushed out to make room for Brown.

Golesh has also reinvented Auburn’s coaching staff, bringing in Auburn legend Kodi Burns as a co-head coach and wide receivers coach, as well as filling many other vacant roles. Joel Gordon, who coached under Golesh at USF, will fill the offensive coordinator role formerly held by Derrick Nix, who took a job at Auburn’s biggest rival just days ago.

Golesh certainly has his work cut out for him on the Plains, but expectations are at an all-time low among Auburn fans. If he’s able to just string together a winning season in 2026, his future is likely secure with the Tigers. 

He’ll have the help of returning defensive coordinator DJ Durkin, who served as Auburn’s interim head coach in between the Freeze and Golesh eras. Durkin coached Auburn’s 2025 defense and made it one of the top defenses in the country.

Perhaps the most important factor that will determine the outcome of Golesh’s first season with the Tigers is this year’s transfer portal, which opens on Jan. 2. When it opens, Auburn will need to fill the spots formerly occupied by its 21 transfers quickly, or Golesh could find himself the brunt of another disappointing Auburn season.