Alex Golesh fully understands the situation he’s stepping into at Auburn. He previously enjoyed a strong stretch of success at South Florida, and even though winning in Tampa is no simple task, the challenges awaiting him in the SEC on The Plains are far greater. Auburn is undeniably a traditional powerhouse, but the past ten years or so haven’t been favorable to the Tigers. Golesh decided to come to Auburn with the goal of quickly turning the program back into a winner.
When Adam Brenman asked Golesh why he ultimately accepted the Auburn job, Golesh offered this insight.
“First of all, there are very few moments in this profession where you actually get to choose. Jobs like this don’t come along often. So when you take a step back and think about it, how many opportunities do you really get where you can compete for a national championship? How many places are as well-resourced as this one?”
Golesh went on to note that coaching and competing in the SEC will only benefit his mission.
“In this conference, how many jobs allow you to go up against the best players and the best coaches at the highest level? You get one chance. There are no do-overs. And you never know if that kind of opportunity will ever come again…”
Alex Golesh has the right mindset to make Auburn relevant once more
Even though he has brought in mostly former South Florida players through the transfer portal including starting quarterback Byrum Brown there’s a decent chance that what worked for him in Tampa could also work at Auburn. His predecessor at USF, Jeff Scott, managed only four wins over three seasons during a disastrous tenure. Golesh moved mountains by comparison.
In truth, Golesh is absolutely correct. Auburn is one of just a handful of Power Four programs where a national championship is a realistic goal. To be fair, Indiana wasn’t considered one of those places until they hired the perfect coach in Curt Cignetti. So far this century, Auburn has competed for national titles under three different head coaches. Could Golesh become the fourth?
Golesh arrives at Auburn carrying only positive momentum from his time at South Florida. He doesn’t bring the baggage Hugh Freeze had, nor the skepticism that accompanied Bryan Harsin, Gus Malzahn, or even Gene Chizik when they first took over. In some ways, this time genuinely feels different. As long as Auburn reaches a bowl game this year, they’ll be taking the right steps to pull themselves out of this slump.
For now, everything Golesh has said about the Auburn job is music to the ears of Tigers fans.
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