College Football HQ

Coveted $15 million HC named historic college football program's new coach: Report

The college football coaching carousel is starting to slow down. By the end of Sunday, LSU, Florida, Auburn and Arkansas could all have new coaches.
Jonathan Adams|
South Florida's head coach Alex Golesh reacts to Memphis fans booing him during the game between USF and Memphis at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium in Memphis, Tenn., on October 25, 2025.
South Florida's head coach Alex Golesh reacts to Memphis fans booing him during the game between USF and Memphis at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium in Memphis, Tenn., on October 25, 2025. | Chris Day/The Commercial Appeal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Auburn, Arkansas and Florida are all set to hire new head coaches. LSU also appears on the verge of poaching Lane Kiffin away from Ole Miss, but an official announcement has yet to be made.

After weeks of being linked to Tulane's Jon Sumrall, it appears Florida threw a wrench into Auburn's plans. With Sumrall likely headed to Gainesville, Auburn has found their next head coach by landing another popular Group of Six leader.

USF's Alex Golesh is headed to The Plains on a six-year contract to be the new Auburn coach, per ESPN's Pete Thamel.

"Sources: Alex Golesh will be the next head coach at Auburn," Thamel detailed in a series of messages on X on Sunday. "Auburn has agreed to a six-year deal for Alex Golesh, per ESPN sources. Announcement coming soon to formalize the hire."

Let's dive into the latest college football news as the coaching carousel spins.

Alex Golesh had been linked to Arkansas before being named Auburn coach

Golesh is one of the more coveted coaches in college football. There had been reports that Golesh was set to be named the next Arkansas coach.

Kiffin passing on Florida appears to have had a domino effect across the SEC. On3's Brett McMurphy reported that Arkansas is expected to name Memphis' Ryan Silverfield as the program's next coach.

Auburn coach Alex Golesh landed a new six-year, $44.4 million contract

Golesh was previously on a six-year, $15.3 million contract at South Florida, per College Football Network. It is quite a raise for Golesh who landed a new six-year deal at Auburn with an average annual salary of $7.4 million, per Yahoo Sports' Ross Dellenger.

Golesh transformed USF into a College Football Playoff contender with marquee wins over Florida and Boise State this season. After firing Hugh Freeze, Auburn has found the program's next coach.

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Jonathan Adams
JONATHAN ADAMS

Jonathan Adams is a veteran sports writer who has written for notable outlets and interviewed some of the top athletes for more than 10 years. Since 2015, his sports coverage has been read by tens of millions and has been prominently featured on Heavy, NFL.com, Yahoo Sports, Pro Football Talk, CBS Sports, Bleacher Report and more. Jonathan is a member of the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) and a voter for the Maxwell Award and Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year. He has interviewed many of the biggest stars in sports — Bryce Harper, Jayden Daniels, Justin Jefferson, Bijan Robinson and Micah Parsons to name a few — and has traveled the country to cover the College Football Playoff, NFL draft, Masters, March Madness, Senior Bowl, McDonald’s All-American Game and beyond. Jonathan Adams studied at the University of Central Florida and The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology. He holds master degrees in sport business management, business administration and theology & culture.

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