It's as close to official as official can be (without an announcement from the program itself). The Auburn Tigers have reportedly found their replacement for Hugh Freeze.
On the morning of Sunday, Nov. 30, ESPN's Pete Thamel reported that the Tigers had signed Alex Golesh, who just spent three seasons with the USF Bulls, to a six-year contract.
Auburn has agreed to a six-year deal for Alex Golesh, per ESPN sources. Announcement coming soon to formalize the hire. https://t.co/LWlOPYKRXB
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) November 30, 2025
While at USF, Golesh garnered national attention this year, especially as the coaching carousel grew increasingly busy (and hectic). This season, he led the Bulls to a 9-3 record, priming the team for its third consecutive bowl game appearance, and possibly its third consecutive postseason win.
Alex Golesh is the Tigers' next-man-up
Since Auburn fired Gus Malzahn in 2020, the Tigers have had five head coaches, including interim HCs Kevin Steele, Cadillac Williams, and DJ Durkin. Now, the program is set to bring in head coach No. 6 as Golesh looks to make the jump from Group of Five to Power Conference.
Alex Golesh coaching resume
In 2003, Golesh started coaching at the high school level but quickly worked his way up the ranks after setting foot into the collegiate coaching scene.
The USF gig was Golesh's first-ever head coaching role, but it was a resounding success story as he led the Bulls to a 23-15 overall record, including wins over the Syracuse Orange in the 2023 Boca Raton Bowl and the San Jose State Spartans in the 2024 Hawaii Bowl.
Before his time with the Bulls, Golesh was best known for his stint as the Tennessee Volunteers' offensive coordinator and tight ends coach, working under the Vols' current head coach, Josh Heupel.
Now, the Tigers reportedly believe that Golesh is ready to make the jump to coaching a Power Conference program, and they believe that program should be their own.