By Michael GallagherShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberWhen the Auburn Tigers announced the hiring of former South Florida head coach Alex Golesh to the same position on Sunday, the move was met with mixed reviews.
In one camp, there’s those who watched Golesh lead the USF Bulls to a 23-15 record over the last three seasons, including a 9-3 mark this year, who believe he’s just the man to lead Auburn back to relevancy after five disappointing seasons under Bryan Harsin and Hugh Freeze.
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In the other camp are those who question if Golesh is ready for a big job that comes with the demanding expectations of coaching in the SEC.
And while analysts certainly won’t hesitate to voice their opinions about Golesh and whether or not he was a smart hire for Auburn, what really matters is how he’s perceived among his players and potential recruits, which is why what one Tiger commit recently said after Golesh’s hire could be cause for concern.
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Speaking with Rivals after the head-coaching news was made official, four-star wide receiver commit Jase Mathews had a pretty underwhelming first impression of Golesh’s hire.
“To be honest I don’t know too much [about him],” Mathews said. “I look forward to getting to know him and find out how things are going to be.
“… Definitely a 90% chance [that I sign with Auburn],” he added. “Ole Miss and A&M have been pushing. I give Ole Miss 7% (chance) and (Texas) A&M about (3%).”
Mathews had been considered a hard Auburn commit for months (he announced his commitment to the Tigers back on Aug. 8), but fans likely won’t overlook the fact that he left the door open—even if only slightly—for Ole Miss and Texas A&M to possible flip him.
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