The wait is officially over. 

Auburn football named Alex Golesh as its head coach on Sunday. The team held a meeting at 10 a.m. on Sunday to make the announcement. 

"We are thrilled to announce Alex Golesh as the 33rd head coach of Auburn Football,” said Auburn athletic director John Cohen. “He has produced wins and record-setting results throughout his entire career, including over the last three seasons at USF. Alex is known nationally for his player development prowess, ability to shape creative and explosive offenses, and his relentless approach to building winning programs. I was also struck by his coaching experience on both sides of the ball. In our conversations, he showed the determination and edge that this program demands of its head coach. I want to welcome Alex, his wife Alexis and children Corbin and Barrett to the Auburn Family.”  

An offensive-minded coach, Golesh has spent the last three seasons turning around a USF program, which was in shambles prior to his arrival.

Undergoing four straight losing seasons and a 1-11 campaign in 2022, Golesh won seven games in Year 1 with the Bulls in 2023. In 2024, he followed with another 7-6 campaign, marking two straight seasons of making a bowl game. 

Golesh has the Bulls sitting at 9-3 on the season with wins over then-No. 13 Florida and  No. 25 Boise State. 

Before receiving his first head coaching gig with the Bulls, Golesh spent two seasons as the offensive coordinator and tight ends coach at Tennessee. 

During the 2021 season, Golesh played a key role in Tennessee rewriting its record book, helping the Volunteers break eight single-season marks: points (511), total yards (6,174), touchdowns (67), PATs made (67), total first downs (316), rushing first downs (164), fewest interceptions (3) and passing efficiency (167.10). Under his guidance, Tennessee’s scoring offense jumped from 108th nationally in 2020 to seventh in 2021 – a 101-spot improvement.

He served as co-offensive coordinator at UCF and as an assistant at Iowa State, Illinois, and Toledo. He was a graduate assistant at Oklahoma State and Northern Illinois after a one-year stint as an analyst at Ohio State. 

He began his coaching career at Westerville Central High School in Ohio as an assistant coach, working with the defensive line. 

"I want to thank President Roberts and John Cohen for the opportunity to lead the Auburn program,” Golesh said. “Auburn Football is one of the proudest, most tradition-rich programs in all of college football and my family and I could not be more excited to join the Auburn Family. This will be a player-driven program, and no one will outwork our staff.

 "Auburn has won, can win and will win championships. Let’s get to work.”

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