AUBURN, ALABAMA – Auburn on Sunday officially hired South Florida head coach Alex Golesh as its next football coach, turning to the rising offensive architect to ignite a program that has struggled to find consistent production on that side of the ball for most of the past decade. Golesh, 41, will take over after Hugh Freeze was dismissed earlier this month following three disappointing seasons marked by persistent offensive shortcomings and mounting pressure from fans and boosters. Golesh is signing a six-year contract reportedly worth more than $7 million per year, signaling Auburn’s full commitment to a long-term rebuild centered on explosive offense and player development. Born in Russia and raised in the United States after moving at the age of seven, Golesh has built one of the nation’s most aggressive offensive reputations in a relatively short time.
During his three seasons at South Florida, Golesh posted a 23-15 record and engineered one of the most dramatic turnarounds in the country. This past season, the Bulls ranked second nationally in total offense at 501.7 yards per game and fourth in scoring at 43 points per game. Along the way, USF pulled off stunning September upsets of ranked Boise State and Florida and narrowly missed a spot in the American Conference championship game after three-point road losses at Memphis and Navy. Before becoming a head coach, Golesh served as offensive coordinator at both UCF and Tennessee, where his up-tempo, high-pressure system became known for wearing down defenses and generating quick-strike scoring drives. Across his tenure at USF, his teams averaged more than 35 points and 450 yards per game, finishing in the top 25 nationally in 20 statistical categories spanning offense, defense, and special teams.
Auburn athletics leadership cited Golesh’s track record of player development, creativity, and relentless approach to building programs as key factors in the hiring decision. Golesh becomes the Tigers’ fourth head coach in seven seasons, following the dismissals of Gus Malzahn, Bryan Harsin, and, most recently, Freeze, underscoring the program’s instability during that stretch. Auburn will ultimately pay more than $52 million in combined buyouts tied to those coaching changes, including nearly $16 million still owed to Freeze from his six-year deal. Freeze exits with a 15-19 overall record and a 6-16 mark in conference play, losing 12 of his final 15 SEC games as Auburn’s offensive struggles worsened. In stepping into one of the most scrutinized jobs in college football, Golesh made clear that his vision centers on relentless effort, player-driven accountability, and restoring Auburn to championship contention. He emphasized that the program’s rich tradition remains a powerful foundation and declared that the work to bring titles back to the Plains begins immediately.