There’s only been one day of spring practice under Alex Golesh so far, but Auburn star linebacker Xavier Atkins is already talking about the differences between practice under the new coach and the old coach.
The Tigers opened spring practice on Tuesday, hoping to eventually turn the program around after five straight losing seasons, during which two head coaches – Bryan Harsin and Hugh Freeze – have come and gone. And while it was just one day, Atkins felt a different vibe.
Leadership and structure is better under Alex Golesh
“It’s different,” he said. “Obviously, ya’ll can tell — the music when ya’ll first got here. It’s different. There’s more structure and leadership. It’s not where they’re asking — they’re demanding greatness. They demand it where you’re gonna show up and do your job every day, and that’s the type of stuff we need as a team.
Atkins was one of the leaders of an Auburn defense that was mighty good last year, allowing just 329.2 yards per game (good for 29th in the FBS) and was a massive reason why the Tigers had chances to win games. Unfortunately, the offense couldn’t follow suit, endlessly wasting opportunities provided by the defense. It was curtains for Freeze after another solid defensive outing, but poor offense led to a 10-3 loss to a woeful Kentucky team in Jordan-Hare Stadium in November.
Enter Golesh, who spent the last three seasons in charge at USF. Last season, the Bulls finished third in the nation in total offense, averaging 488.7 yards per game, and were led by new Auburn quarterback Byrum Brown, who threw for 3,158 yards and 28 touchdowns, while rushing for 1,008 yards and 14 more scores.
For Atkins, another difference has been the lack of complacency even among the top players on the team. Last year, he felt the team’s stars didn’t have to prove themselves; this year is different under Golesh and his new coaching staff.
“Nobody’s job is guaranteed, so that’s the biggest thing he emphasized in the first practice,” Atkins said. “We’re gonna make sure we compete every day.”