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Auburn head coach news
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
Alex Golesh, hired Nov 30, 2025 as Auburn's 33rd head coach, debuts vs Baylor. His tenure aims to end a losing-record streak since 2020.
Background
Auburn hired Alex Golesh from South Florida after firing Hugh Freeze, marking a new era. Golesh led USF to three straight winning seasons, and Auburn hopes he can replicate that success after not finishing with a winning record since 2020. He retained defensive coordinator DJ Durkin, whose defense ranked No. 30 nationally last season.
How it unfolded
- Nov 30, 2025Auburn announced the hiring of Alex Golesh as head coach, the 33rd in program history.
- Aug 24, 2026Golesh emphasized experience as Auburn prepared for Baylor, with 13 players following him from USF.
- Sep 3, 2026Golesh held a press conference ahead of the season opener against Baylor.
- Sep 5, 2026Golesh made his Auburn debut against Baylor in the Aflac Kickoff Game.
Who’s saying what
- Official
- Auburn athletics highlights Golesh's promise of a 'hardest-working, toughest, grittiest program' and his track record at USF.
- Analysts
- Some analysts note the challenge of turning around a program that hasn't had a winning season since 2020, but point to Golesh's success at USF as a positive sign.