Auburn has hired USF Head Coach Alex Golesh as its next head coach. Golesh was Tennessee’s offensive coordinator before getting the USF Head Coaching job. He was 23-15 during his 3 years at USF. It was an impressive rebuild, as USF had struggled before he arrived. He replaces Hugh Freeze, who went 15-19 in 3 seasons at Auburn. Golesh will have a rebuild on his hands at Auburn.
Golesh’s Fit at Auburn
I like Golesh’s fit at Auburn. He has a reputation as a tough type of coach. I think he will provide the culture and discipline that have been lacking for a long time at Auburn. The other area he should help Auburn with is on the offensive side of the ball. USF was 2nd in the College Football with over 500 yards of offense this season. Quarterback Byrum Brown played well this year after being hurt last season. He was able to be recruited and developed by Golesh.
Auburn's lack of offense has been a huge problem. Auburn was 80th in total yards this season. Quarterback play was also a mess as they played Jackson Arnold, Ashton Daniels, and Deuce Knight. All 3 were not ineffective at all this season. I expect Golesh will be able to recruit and develop quarterbacks at a higher level.
Recruiting Ability at Auburn
Auburn currently has the 39th recruiting class this season. Auburn did have a good recruiting class earlier this season. Last season, Auburn had the 8th-ranked recruiting class. So, you can get plenty of good players at Auburn. Golesh has a chance to be successful in recruiting at Auburn. His coaching staff will be big for him. So he can hire good coaches who recruit at a high level.
Downsides of Golesh Hire
He has coached in the SEC in the past with Tennessee, so he should know the league well. The issue is that he had never been a head coach at a high level like Auburn before. You truly never know how a coach will respond to being put into an SEC job. I think Golesh has the tools to be successful, but the last time Auburn hired a lower-level head coach, they hired Bryan Harsin from Boise State, and he was clearly over his head. He was fired in the middle of his 2nd season when he went 9-12. He was never a good fit in Auburn. Now the one downside was that Harsin never coached in the SEC, where Golesh has the experience from coaching at Tennessee.
Final Grade for Golesh Hire: B
I cannot give them an A because it is still unknown to hire a group of 4 coaches, but Golesh has a chance to be successful. I think a B grade is a solid grade. He has a chance to be successful as a head coach.