Auburn has officially found its next leader on the sidelines, and it’s a name that’s been steadily rising through the coaching ranks: Alex Golesh. After weeks of speculation and a search that had fans and insiders buzzing, the Tigers have tapped the now-former South Florida head coach to take over the program.
Golesh becomes the 33rd head coach in Auburn Football history, and the hire signals a clear intent - this is a program ready to embrace innovation, player development, and a relentless pursuit of winning.
A Proven Builder with a Modern Edge
Golesh arrives on The Plains after a three-year stint at South Florida that can only be described as a turnaround job done right. When he took over in Tampa, USF was coming off a brutal stretch - just four wins in the three seasons prior to his arrival. Fast forward to today, and Golesh leaves the Bulls with a 23-15 record, having not only restored the program’s competitiveness but also its identity.
He didn’t just win - he built. And he did it with an offense that was anything but vanilla.
Known nationally for his creative, high-tempo attacks, Golesh has become one of college football’s most respected offensive minds. But what makes this hire even more intriguing for Auburn fans is that he’s not just a one-side-of-the-ball guy.
Athletic Director John Cohen emphasized Golesh’s experience on both offense and defense, a rare trait that could bring much-needed balance to a Tigers program looking to reestablish itself in the SEC hierarchy.
“We are thrilled to announce Alex Golesh as the 33rd head coach of Auburn Football,” Cohen said in a statement. “He has produced wins and record-setting results throughout his entire career… and showed the determination and edge that this program demands of its head coach.”
A Coach with a Clear Vision
Golesh, who was born in Moscow and raised in Dublin, Ohio, has a coaching résumé that reads like a roadmap through the heart of American football country. After cutting his teeth in the Midwest, he joined Josh Heupel’s staff at UCF in 2020 before following him to Tennessee. It was there, in Knoxville, that Golesh helped engineer one of the most explosive offenses in the country from 2021 to 2022 - a stretch that caught the attention of programs nationwide.
That success led him to South Florida, where he got his first shot as a head coach. He didn’t waste it.
Now, he brings that same energy and approach to Auburn - a program steeped in tradition but hungry for a new chapter.
“Auburn Football is one of the proudest, most tradition-rich programs in all of college football,” Golesh said. “This will be a player-driven program, and no one will outwork our staff. Auburn has won, can win and will win championships.”
That’s the kind of message that resonates. Not just with fans, but with recruits, alumni, and the SEC community at large. Golesh isn’t walking into this job with wide eyes - he’s coming in with a plan, a track record, and a chip on his shoulder.
What This Means for Auburn
Let’s be clear: this is a bold move. Auburn is betting on a coach who’s proven he can build from the ground up, develop talent, and light up the scoreboard - all without the benefit of a blue-blood recruiting pipeline. Now, with Auburn’s resources, facilities, and access to top-tier talent, the ceiling could be even higher.
But success in the SEC isn’t just about schemes and stats. It’s about culture, toughness, and the ability to navigate one of the most competitive landscapes in college football. Golesh seems to understand that, and he’s embracing the challenge head-on.
With his wife Alexis and children Corbin and Barrett joining him in Auburn, the Golesh family is now part of the Tiger family - and there’s a sense that something new, and potentially special, is beginning on The Plains.
Auburn didn’t just hire a coach with a good résumé. They hired a builder, a motivator, and a strategist with a modern mindset. And if Golesh can bring the same energy and execution to the SEC that he brought to Tampa and Knoxville, Auburn might have found the right man to lead them into their next era.