As Auburn prepares to usher in the Alex Golesh era, expectations are beginning to rise around a program hoping to make a significant leap from last season.
One of the biggest reasons for the optimism is the continuity Golesh has been able to establish on both sides of the football. The new head coach brought offensive coordinator Joel Gordon with him from USF, along with quarterback Byrum Brown, center Cole Best and a group of wide receivers who are already familiar with one another. Their previous experience together should give Auburn a valuable head start as the Tigers transition into Golesh’s offensive system.
There is also plenty of familiarity on defense. Auburn retained defensive coordinator DJ Durkin and defensive line coach Vontrell King-Williams, while several important contributors from last season’s unit, including Champ Anthony and Xavier Atkins, remain in the fold.
Still, Golesh is making sure expectations remain grounded.
During his Monday press conference, the first-year Auburn coach reminded reporters that the Tigers are still very much in the early stages of a rebuild. While the roster includes experienced veterans, Auburn also has plenty of young and new players who are still learning how to operate within the program and adjust to the demands of the new coaching staff.
Throughout fall camp, Golesh has repeatedly emphasized that building a winning program involves much more than what happens between the lines. His staff has placed significant attention on establishing the right processes, developing leadership and creating the culture necessary for sustained success.
And leadership, in particular, remains an area Golesh believes Auburn must continue to develop.
“As much as we’ve got these older guys, we’ve got a ton of youth in this program too, and it’s been pushing and empowering some younger guys that are really good players to step up,” Golesh said. “Man, you’re leading, but there’s more you can give.”
Golesh acknowledged that the Tigers have shown encouraging signs, but he also admitted that the leadership development has been inconsistent.
“It’s been really, really good at times, it’s been just okay at times,” he said. “It’s probably one of the things that keeps me up at night is you don’t really feel like you’ve got enough of that, to be honest with you. We’re going to continue to push it, we’re going to empower guys to lead.”
That concern becomes even more significant considering what Auburn is about to face. The Tigers have an unforgiving SEC schedule ahead, including a challenging slate of road games that will test the team’s maturity, depth and ability to respond when adversity strikes.
For Golesh, the issue is not simply whether Auburn has talented players. He wants to know whether enough of those players are prepared to take ownership when the season inevitably turns difficult.
“Full transparency, that’s where I lose sleep, because I don’t know that we have enough truly to go into a season and be able to go through the ups and downs of what it is,” Golesh said.
That leadership question will soon face its first real test.
Auburn is set to open the 2026 season Saturday against the Baylor Bears in Atlanta, marking the beginning of the Golesh era and the Tigers’ first opportunity to show whether their offseason progress can translate to the field.