Auburn’s coaching search may have spent plenty of time circling bigger, more familiar names, but Kodi Burns isn’t waiting around for the rest of the fan base to catch up on Alex Golesh.
Burns, a member of Auburn’s 2010 national championship team and now an assistant on the Tigers’ staff, said he’s fully behind the program’s new head coach.
“We have the right head coach. I believe in Golesh,” Burns said.
“He's an incredible offensive mind, an incredible leader, an incredible person. I'm so excited to be back.
I think it'll happen sooner than later. We're building something special here.
Auburn is one of those jobs where you can accomplish everything you want.”
That kind of confidence carries some weight coming from Burns, who played quarterback and receiver for Auburn from the 2007 season through the title run in 2010 and stayed with the program through the coaching change in 2009. He’s also worked closely with Golesh before, first at Tennessee and later at USF, where much of Auburn’s offense has been pulled from under Golesh’s most recent system.
There’s no shortage of opinions on what Auburn should expect in year one. Some projections point to a dramatic turnaround right away, while others see a longer climb, especially after the Tigers lost so much of their offense through the transfer portal this offseason.
Golesh has already made it clear this season is about laying the groundwork. The emphasis is on culture and identity, not just the number in the win column, and that approach is expected to carry into 2026 as well.
For now, Burns’ backing gives Golesh another public show of support from someone who has lived through Auburn success, coaching turnover and the grind of building a program from the inside. The next step is on Golesh and his staff to turn that belief into results.
In Other News...
Auburn's Late Recruiting Win Looks Bigger Than Fans Realized
DeShawn Spencers rise in the final AL.com Best in Bama rankings gave Auburn another reminder that its recruiting work in Alabama is starting to matter in a big way. The Saraland wide receiver landed at No. 11 on the list of the states top Class of 2026 seniors, putting him in a group that will be tracked closely as those prospects begin to settle on their college homes.
Auburn also came away with three players from the final Best in Bama rankings, a haul that includes Jaquez Wilkes, Spencer and Shadarius Toodle. Alex Golesh has already singled out Spencer for the way he has performed and handled himself, suggesting the Tigers may not have to wait long to see whether the latest recruiting win turns into an early on-field boost. [Read more 🡒]
Auburn Finally Has A Kicker Fans Can Believe In Again
Alex McPherson gave Auburn something it has been searching for in the kicking game, and he did it by turning a once-unstable spot into a real strength. After working back from serious health problems, he settled in for a strong 2025 season and finished 20 of 23 on field goals, a level of consistency that changed the way the Tigers could approach close games.
Now Auburn heads into 2026 with McPherson still in line as the starter, Connor Gibbs back as the kickoff specialist and Towns McGough headed to Cal. McPherson sounded confident during spring practice, and for a program that has spent too long wondering what might happen when the offense stalled near the goal line, simply having a kicker the staff can trust again matters plenty. [Read more 🡒]