As he prepares for his debut season as Auburn’s head football coach, Alex Golesh understands that his mission goes beyond simply winning games he must defeat Alabama. While every matchup matters, Golesh recognizes that for Tigers supporters, the Iron Bowl carries far more significance than even most postseason contests.
When a reporter brought up Auburn’s recent losing streak to Alabama, Golesh corrected him, insisting he is starting with a clean slate. The 41-year-old coach stated that his team “hasn’t played Bama” yet and promised they would be ready by the close of the 2026 college football season.
“To be completely honest, I don’t really care about what success there has or hasn’t been,” Golesh told AL.com. “This group hasn’t faced Bama. We’ll be prepared to play in Week 12 when the time comes… We stress what that game represents. It’s the greatest rivalry in college football.”
Alabama has won 52 of the 90 all-time Iron Bowl meetings with its in-state rival Auburn. The Crimson Tide were especially dominant under Nick Saban, claiming 12 of the 17 matchups between 2007 and 2023.
Golesh takes over an Auburn program that hasn’t beaten Alabama since a 48–45 thriller in 2019. The Tigers have won just four of the last 18 meetings and haven’t secured consecutive wins over the Crimson Tide since 2007.
Golesh is already 0–2 against Alabama, having lost to the Tide while coaching USF in 2023 and 2024. But as he pointed out, the dynamic changes entirely now that he leads Auburn.
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