Managing a college football roster – read: players’ egos – has never been tougher for coaches throughout the nation with the introduction of the transfer portal and NIL money. Say the wrong thing, a player gets their feelings hurt, and they are in the portal in a matter of seconds.
It did, however, get a little easier once the spring transfer portal went away starting this year. For new Auburn head coach Alex Golesh, who is trying to build the Tigers back into title contenders after five-straight losing seasons and whose job it is to foster team camaraderie, not having to worry about players bolting after spring practice was a welcome thing.
Alex Golesh has been able to be more honest with players this spring
"The exit meetings were awesome — no portal," Golesh said per Auburn Undercover’s Nathan King. "The exit meetings were as real as they could be. And each guy got an individualized plan — truly, what do they need to work on? Some of it is technical, some of it is tactical, some of it is physical."
Instead of being concerned about who might leave after spring practice, Golesh could be honest with his players, highlighting where they need to be to earn playing time or become the players they have the potential to be. And it certainly helps that Golesh and his staff don’t have to worry about going out on the trail again to find players via the portal to fill the needs left by departing players. For now, this is the roster, and the players who want to make a difference have to step up or risk losing their spot in the rotation.
"Some guys stepped up that you wouldn't know if they would or wouldn't," Golesh said. "And then there was some where you're like, man, we've got a long way to go. These exit meetings afterwards are really good because you weren't hiding from anything. It's: This is where you're at.”
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