Auburn reportedly hires USF's Alex Golesh as next head coach originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Auburn has hired USF’s Alex Golesh the program's next head football coach, according to a report from On3's Pete Nakos.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe Tigers moved quickly to fill their vacancy after finishing 5-7 with a loss to Alabama in Saturday’s Iron Bowl. Auburn fired coach Hugh Freeze mid-season, ending a tenure marked by inconsistency.
Golesh just completed his third season at South Florida, leading the Bulls to a 9-3 regular-season record and producing a 23-15 mark during his tenure. His rebuild in Tampa stood out in the Group-of-Five landscape, where USF lagged in infrastructure, NIL coordination, and administrative support before his arrival. Golesh modernized the program’s approach and churned in the transfer portal.
Golesh returns to the SEC, where he previously served as Tennessee’s offensive coordinator, tight ends coach, and a key assistant under Josh Heupel from 2021-22. During that stretch, Tennessee ranked inside the nation’s top 10 in scoring offense both seasons.
Auburn landed Golesh on a reported six-year contract, which shows a long-term reset as the program seeks renewed footing in the NIL and portal era. Golesh said this week he needed time with family before deciding, adding that his players would be the first informed.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“I’ve not had time with my family to process everything that’s going on,” Golesh said earlier. “I owe it to the entire University to process it the right way and think about everybody involved. The first people that will know will be our players.”
Auburn is betting that Golesh’s offensive vision and program structure can jump-start a roster that struggled to maximize its potential, even as NIL collectives pour record investment into the league.
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