Report: Auburn football set to hire Alex Golesh as its next head coach

It appears that Auburn football's search for its next head coach has officially ended.

According to multiple reports, including one from Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports, USF head coach Alex Golesh is set to be named head coach. Auburn athletics confirmed the report shortly after. This development comes after Justin Hokanson of On3's report of a team meeting being scheduled for 10 a.m. CT on Sunday morning.

Auburn Athletic Director John Cohen credits Golesh's success as a coordinator at a high level, as well as his leadership as a head coach, as a reason for showing interest and ultimately hiring him.

“We are thrilled to announce Alex Golesh as the 33rd head coach of Auburn Football,” Cohen said. “He has produced wins and record-setting results throughout his entire career, including over the last three seasons at USF. Alex is known nationally for his player development prowess, ability to shape creative and explosive offenses, and his relentless approach to building winning programs. I was also struck by his coaching experience on both sides of the ball. In our conversations, he showed the determination and edge that this program demands of its head coach. I want to welcome Alex, his wife Alexis and children Corbin and Barrett to the Auburn Family.”

In three seasons as head coach at USF, Golesh has led the Bulls to a 23-15 record, including a career-best 9-3 record in 2025. Before his time in Tampa, Golesh served as an offensive coordinator at UCF and Tennessee under current Volunteers head coach Josh Heupel. During his time in Knoxville from 2021-22, Tennessee held the SEC's third-best offense in 2021 by averaging 474.9 yards per game. His offense took a step forward in 2022 by gaining 525.5 yards per game, which was the best in the SEC by more than 20 yards. The Volunteers also averaged 42.7 points per game over his two seasons on Rocky Top.

Golesh takes over for Hugh Freeze, who was fired earlier this month after building a 15-19 record in two-and-a-half seasons, and 6-16 against SEC competition.

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This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: Auburn set to hire USF's Alex Golesh as head coach according to report