Byrum Brown says his bond with Alex Golesh has only grown stronger over the years, and the Auburn quarterback made it clear that relationship has shaped both his football and his life.
Brown, who was featured on SEC Nation Saturday before Auburn’s home game against Florida, spoke with SEC Network’s Marion Crowder about the coach he’s been tied to for four years, first at South Florida and now at Auburn. Golesh spent three seasons at USF before arriving at Auburn in December, and Brown said the connection has meant plenty to him and his family.
“It’s evolved in numerous ways,” Brown said, “as a man and as a player. I can go to him about anything.
I know he has my best interest at heart. My family, they trust in him deeply and I’m truly grateful for having this relationship with him and being here with him as well.
I can’t wait to see do what we’re doing.”
Brown’s path with Golesh started when he became USF’s starter in 2023, Golesh’s first season as head coach of the Bulls. His 2024 season was interrupted by a broken leg that limited him to six games, then he won back the starting job in 2025. Brown said that stretch mattered in a big way for his growth at quarterback.
“You go through a phase where you’re not able to do something that you love every single day,” Brown said. “And it truly taught me the importance of just staying in the moment, staying one day at a time, knowing that I have the confidence and the confidence that Coach Golesh put in me as well. … So I appreciate him, to this day, for sure.”
Brown also talked about how much his body changed in high school, when he went from 5-foot-8 to 6-2 in a six-month span. He’s now listed at 6-foot-3 and 235 pounds, and he said that growth period helped turn him into a more complete quarterback.
“I think it changed it a lot, obviously having to learn in your body,” Brown said. “Then it was COVID, and I was just doing something every single day, so I was getting faster, getting stronger.
I’d say it changed for the better, allowed me to utilize my legs and always had an arm to throw the ball. That time you weren’t playing, you were just training and just focusing on yourself, and it was extremely useful.”
In Other News...
Auburns SEC Opener Exposed A Problem Tigers Cant Ignore
Auburns SEC opener against Florida offered an early look at where the Tigers stand, and it was not a flattering one. The 44-39 loss left Auburn 2-1 overall and 0-1 in league play, with the defense repeatedly struggling to get off the field and Florida finding answers in the kind of situations that usually decide close conference games.
The late rally kept the Tigers in it, but the offense was too uneven to fully cover for the problems on the other side of the ball. For head coach Alex Golesh, this was the first major SEC test, and Auburn came away with a clear reminder that competing in this league demands more consistency, especially when the margin for error is already so thin. [Read more 🡒]
Auburn's Comeback Chances Hinge On Fixing Two Costly Problems
Auburn heads into halftime trailing Florida 20-17 at home, and the margin reflects a first half that left the Tigers with too much to clean up on both sides of the ball. The game has already pointed to two areas that need attention quickly: keeping quarterback Byrum Brown in rhythm and tightening a run defense that has already had to deal with Florida backs Jaden Baugh and Duke Clark.
The secondary also has to do a better job of limiting explosive plays, because Florida has shown enough to keep Auburn under pressure even with the crowd behind it. If the Tigers are going to turn this into a comeback, they will need a more consistent defensive stretch in the second half, not just a few stops here and there. [Read more 🡒]
Auburns Florida Captains Reveal Who Alex Golesh Trusts Most
Auburns SEC opener against Florida comes with a familiar leadership group at the front of the huddle. The Tigers have announced five captains for the game, and Byrum Brown and Elijah Melendez will serve in that role for the third straight week, joined by Jake Johnson, Cody Sigler and Alex McPherson. It is another clear sign of which players Alex Golesh is leaning on as the pressure rises.
The captaincy list also says plenty about how this team is being organized going into one of the seasons most important early tests. Repeating Brown and Melendez suggests continuity, while the addition of Johnson, Sigler and McPherson broadens the leadership base in a matchup where details tend to matter. For Auburn, the bigger question is whether that trust shows up on the field once the opener gets rolling. [Read more 🡒]