Sure, Alex Golesh has been a part of several media days as the head coach at USF the previous three seasons, but nothing rivals what the first-year Auburn coach will face on Tuesday when he steps on the podium in Tampa during the 2026 version of SEC Media Days.
There will be a lot of questions surrounding rebuilding the Tigers’ program after five straight losing seasons, his first shot at being the head man at a Power 4 school and other issues that reporters from all over the Southeast and nation will want to know about the new figure on the Plains.
While I won’t be attending media days personally, there are some questions I would love to hear Golesh answer. Here are my top five:
1. What was the biggest problem you found in the Auburn football facility when you arrived?
With every new regime, there will be talk of a refreshing new start for players, the coaches left over and the staff who have worked in the football facility under previous head coaches. Some players have already commented on it during spring practice, but it would be nice to hear what Golesh thinks the vibe is like inside the facility; something he and only a few can fully get a grasp on.
2. What makes you so confident that Byrum Brown and the other transfers that followed you from USF can make the leap to the SEC?
It’s not new for a coach to bring players he is comfortable with to his new school, but with the addition of Brown and several wide receivers from USF who will be counted on to be productive, Golesh is putting a lot of eggs in their baskets to make the proverbial leap from the American Conference to arguably the nation’s deepest and most talented.Â
3. What has been the biggest lesson you’ve learned in your first six months on the job?
Taking over a program that requires a major rebuild is exhausting, and lessons will ultimately be learned by making mistakes. I wonder what Golesh’s biggest learning curve has been since he moved to the Plains.
4. How can you rebuild the confidence and swagger that Auburn’s offense has been missing the past several seasons?
If the Tigers have been missing anything the last several seasons, it has been confidence on offense, especially in SEC play. Last year, it ultimately cost Auburn some wins as Jackson Arnold and company couldn’t get the job done despite the defense keeping them in games. How fast can Brown fix that?
5. Do you realize how important it is to beat Alabama and Georgia?
Needless to say, not beating Auburn’s two biggest rivals is the ultimate sin by any head coach on the Plains, no matter what sport they are in charge of. This is extremely true in football as the Tigers have lost nine straight to the Bulldogs and six straight to the Crimson Tide. To have his name remembered in Auburn in a good way, Golesh will need to beat those two and quickly.Â
Add us as a preferred source on Google