Alex Golesh has spent years talking about Josh Heupel with the kind of respect that usually gets reserved for the people who helped shape a career. This week, though, Golesh admitted he may have gone a little too far with the praise.
That doesn’t mean the appreciation isn’t real. It just means the reunion coming to Knoxville has a sharper edge now.
Their connection goes back to 2020, when Golesh joined Heupel’s staff at UCF as offensive coordinator and tight ends coach. That was the first time he worked directly under Heupel, and it set the stage for the next move in his career. When Heupel took over at Tennessee in 2021, Golesh followed him to Knoxville and kept the same role.
The two seasons Golesh spent running the offense in Knoxville were the kind that get remembered. Tennessee went from seven wins in 2021 to an 11-2 finish in 2022, and the year ended with an Orange Bowl win over Clemson.
The offense was the engine, piling up more than 500 yards and 47 points per game to lead the nation. Hendon Hooker was the quarterback at the center of it, and Golesh also worked with tight ends Jacob Warren and Princeton Fant during that stretch.
After the 2022 season, Golesh moved on to South Florida, where he became head coach and spent three years going 23-15. He kept the same fast, high-scoring style that had made his work under Heupel stand out, and that success eventually pushed him into his next job. Auburn hired Golesh as its head coach in December 2025.
He won’t be walking back into Knoxville alone. Auburn’s staff also features Kodi Burns, who coached Tennessee’s wide receivers under Heupel, and Tim Banks, who spent five seasons as Tennessee’s defensive coordinator. Burns now serves as Auburn’s associate head coach/co-offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach, while Banks is the co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach.
The first meeting between Golesh and Heupel is set for October 3, 2026, when Auburn comes to Neyland Stadium. Heupel has already said he is looking forward to it, calling it a unique chance to face someone from his own coaching tree. With so many familiar names on both sidelines, it already looks like more than just another SEC game.
Golesh has kept his respect for Heupel front and center, even joking this week that he may be giving his former boss too much credit now that they’re recruiting against each other. When the first Saturday in October arrives, though, the compliments will stop. Then it’s just football.
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Furman Just Added An Unexpected Week 1 Wrinkle For Tennessee
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Tennessee is still expected to win the game, but Garcias background makes this one feel a bit less routine than a standard season opener. For a defense that will want to settle in early, the challenge is not just handling a smaller-school opponent, but figuring out a quarterback who has seen a lot of football environments already and wont be overwhelmed by the moment. [Read more 🡒]