The time will soon come that the Auburn Tigers will take the field for their first year with Alex Golesh as the head coach, and the former leader at USF is taking on a position that has come with a quick fuse in recent memory.
Since 2021, Golesh is the third full-time head coach that the Tigers have had, and they are looking to turn things around under his leadership.
That timeframe has seen Auburn go 27-35 overall with two bowl losses, those being in 2021 and 2023. Both of the two prior head coaches were fired in the middle of their final seasons, leaving interim head coaches to be the replacement while a search took place.
Golesh comes in having posted a 23-15 record in three seasons at USF, having taken on SEC foes Alabama twice and Florida once in that period.
Golesh is now stepping into a new role in a new conference and into a fanbase that is searching for its first winning season since 2020, and its first bowl game victory since 2018.
With the season just more than a month away when the Tigers take on Baylor in Atlanta, here are three things that Golesh needs to have happen in order for Auburn to be successful.
Playing with physicality
Since his installment on the Plains, Golesh has constantly preached the idea of identity to his players, coaches, fans and the media. It is something he seeks to establish immediately, so that Auburn has a basis for how it will operate moving forward.
From the days of Bo Jackson to Tracy Rocker to Cam Newton and Derrick Brown, Golesh has emphasized that the program the Tigers have built has been established on being physical and hard-nosed.
During SEC Media Days in Tampa, Florida, the new head coach harped on that, wanting that kind of product to be evident on the field to the fans watching.
“The first piece of identity that we’ve hammered home is the ability to be physically and mentally tough,” Golesh said. “That’s what Auburn football was built on—physical and mental toughness, the ability to be the most violent football team on the field every Saturday, violent. I think that’s something you can watch and see.”
Golesh has related that to every single part of the game, whether that be ball security, defense in the red zone or two-minute offense.
At the end of the day, it is all about being physical with every little detail. It is one of the biggest aspects that Golesh is determined will make the first year successful.
“Are you detailed in the margins that win football games?” Golesh said. “That’s what I want our identity to be. If we can leave year one and we have a foundation that’s built on our identity, I would tell you it’s a successful year one.”
Capitalize in critical situations
Under DJ Durkin, the Tigers defense has been stout and has been the part of the team that has kept them in most games during the drought of winning seasons.
One of things that is constantly being watched with the defense though is can it get off the field in tight situations.
Auburn’s defense ranked 24th in opponent third-down conversion percentage in 2025 at 34.44 percent, making it third in the SEC behind only Texas and Texas A&M, who was the top team in the nation in that statistic.
On the other side on offense, the Tigers ranked 48th in scoring in the red zone at 86.49 percent, a jump up from the 2024 mark that sat at 71.88 percent.
When referring to details and the significance of them, being successful comes from making big plays on both sides of the ball, but especially in critical scenarios.
“You watch a team play and are they detailed in what they do?” Golesh said. “Does situational football look the way it’s supposed to? Third down, fourth down, special teams, detail in special teams, ball security, red zone offense, tight zone offense, goal line offense, two-minute offense, four-minute offense, four-minute defense, two-minute defense, red zone defense, tight zone defense, goal line defense.”
Doing so will raise the chances of winning exponentially, something the Tigers would love to get back to doing consistently in 2026.
Run the football, and do it well
One of the main complaints of Auburn fans in recent years is the underutilization of the rushing game with talented rushers, something Golesh said will not be a problem under his leadership.
Running back Jeremiah Cobb enters his senior season after posting 969 rushing yards in 2025, but only five touchdowns. Now primed for a 1,000-yard season, the bar is high for the star from Montgomery Catholic High School.
Cobb’s abilities will be complimented by a host of talents in the running back room as well, with guys like Bryson Washington, Nykahi Davenport and Omar Mabson II already to produce when their name is called. On top of that, the running talent of quarterback Byrum Brown provides some flexibility.
The Tigers ranked fifth in the SEC last season in average rushing yards per game with 176.8, a statistic they are looking to build off of.
Golesh said though it is part of a process to figure out the team’s playmakers during fall camp as Auburn gears up for the season opener against Baylor.
“We’ve got to use these next three weeks once we get into camp to truly figure out who are our playmakers,” Golesh said. “For us, everything starts with the ability to run the football, and it sets up everything else. But it’s the players in the right formations to then be able to create explosive because the matchups and the space allows you to do so.”
Auburn Undercover is an independent Auburn sports media company covering Auburn athletics, recruiting and insider news.
