Auburn Coach Golesh Says He Faces More Pressure Than at USF but Notes Stronger Institutional Support

Alex Golesh, Auburn's head football coach, said Tuesday that he faces greater pressure to return the program to national contention than he experienced at his previous job. Speaking at SEC media days in Tampa, Florida, Golesh noted that Auburn has not finished a season with at least seven wins since 2019. He is the fourth head coach at the school since then.

Golesh took over in December 2025. He said the last time Auburn posted a winning season, a current high school junior was in sixth grade. From 2003 to 2020, Auburn appeared in the AP top 10 for at least part of 14 seasons and finished the 2019 campaign ranked No.

14 nationally. At his prior stop with USF, Golesh said the program planned to peak in Year 3, 4 or 5. He added that he feels a hair more pressure at Auburn to reach that point sooner. Golesh described Auburn as a top-5 program roughly 10 years ago and said the staff has focused on bringing recruits to campus to show the current energy and recount the program's history.

Golesh said the absence of Nick Saban at Alabama has shifted the in-state recruiting dynamic. He credited athletic director John Cohen, who hired him, with handling issues and maintaining alignment. Auburn's president called Golesh on July 20 to wish him luck ahead of media day, Golesh said.