First-year Auburn Tigers head coach Alex Golesh came out a big winner narratively following Athlon Sports' annual season preview magazine release. His hiring was celebrated, particularly because he brought over his former quarterback with the USF Bulls, Byrum Brown.
Per an anonymous SEC coach, “Honestly, [Alex Golesh] is a pretty good fit ...You see him paired with [defensive coordinator], and he’s a grinder. I see how the system could be attractive. You bring your quarterback with you, and there’s not a big learning curve there. I could see them having success. They were really good on defense last year. They were the best defense that we saw. You add some offense with it, and they can be pretty good. I sense that there’s gonna be a mentality to be who they are and not conform to the past and how things have been run there. Teams that play them early, there’s gonna be a surprise with how efficient they are with the guys that have been in that system."
Beyond Brown's 3,158 passing yards and 1,008 rushing yards, the QB helped lead the most explosive offense in the country last season. USF averaged over 347 yards per game. Even against an elite Corey Hetherman-coached Miami Hurricanes defense, the Bulls amassed 332 total yards.
Brown was in control of Golesh's offense. The product was electric in Tampa. Not only can Brown bring winning back to the Plains, but he can also make the Tigers fun to watch again. Hugh Freeze's offense was a slog, despite elite receiving weapons that his offenses squandered with underwhelming arm talent at the QB position. Brown, despite whatever you think about his throwing motion, could bring serious watchability to Auburn football.
With how fun things are projected to be six times at Jordan-Hare Stadium and six times elsewhere this fall, it's important to remember what the team might've looked like if the program had hired the guy it initially wanted early in the hiring cycle, Jon Sumrall.
Jon Sumrall wouldn't have brought a product with the same win-now qualities Alex Golesh brought to Auburn
Let's assume that Sumrall was going to be a package deal with Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner, wherever he went. While Faulkner just did great work in Atlanta and is a native of a recruiting hot zone for AU, he brought Aaron Philo from Georgia Tech to the Florida Gators. Philo doesn't have the same ceiling that a Brown-led, Joel Gordon-coached offense does.
The Gators brought in a guy who fit. Sumrall is a good option to restore discipline in Gainesville. DJ Durkin has enough discipline instilled in his defense, and it's unclear if he would've stayed had Sumrall been hired. Golesh, being a complementary offensive guy, complete with his system and pieces that made that system work, is better next to Durkin. Without a single question asked.
It all could've worked out for both teams. Still, it's Golesh who has confidence that he has something sustainable over the long haul, but also a roster that could immediately win games during the 2026 season, too. It's important for the Tigers to finally have a winning percentage of over .500. Golesh made more sense in the time frame Auburn had to turn things around after five miserable, depressing campaigns.
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