New-Look Auburn Tigers Sparked By Alex Golesh, Byrum Brown
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The Auburn Tigers enter the 2026 college football season with plenty of hope and excitement.
Auburn hired USF Bulls head coach Alex Golesh in November and agreed to a six-year deal. Golesh was one of the top coaching candidates available; he was linked to Arkansas but ultimately chose Auburn.
Golesh is a proven winner who should change the culture at Auburn after six straight losing seasons. The Tigers have been a dominant force in the SEC in the past, but that hasn't been the case lately, as Hugh Freeze and Bryan Harsin's tenures didn't go well.
Although there are some questions about how Golesh will coach at a Power 4 level, he does bring excitement to the Tigers.
Golesh made USF a true powerhouse at the G5 level, going 23-15 as the Bulls' head coach, including 9-3 last season, which included major wins over Boise State and Florida.
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Golesh has proven he can build a program into a true contender, and he overhauled the Tigers' roster in the transfer portal, including adding quarterback Byrum Brown, who followed Golesh to Auburn.
Brown was a star quarterback at USF and was one of the top quarterbacks available in the transfer portal.
Brown is a dual-threat quarterback who poses a lot of problems for defenses. Not only did he improve as a passer, as he had a completion percentage of 66.3, while throwing for 3,158 yards, 28 touchdowns and seven interceptions last season. He also rushed for 1,008 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Auburn has struggled to find a true top-tier quarterback for years, and Brown has the potential to be that. A dual-threat quarterback like Brown can open up defenses, as they will likely need to have a spy on him at all times, which helps the downfield passing game.
So, ahead of the Tigers kicking off the 2026 season on Sept. 5 against Baylor, there is plenty of hype and excitement around Auburn with Golesh and Brown leading the way.
Alex Golesh Details What Makes 'Year 1 A Success' At Auburn
Although Auburn plays in the stacked SEC, the Tigers do have some excitement surrounding them heading into 2026.
It's a brand-new era for Auburn football with Golesh in charge, and he's looking to start his tenure off the right way. At the SEC spring meetings, Golesh revealed what makes this year a success.
"To go back and say, 'We were successful in Year 1,' is that we laid an actual foundation for our program," Golesh said at SEC spring meetings about how this year can be a success. "And I think the way you build a foundation is you have an identity. … (Fans) watching and saying, 'This is what we are, this is what this team is.'"
Golesh said the goal is to be a physical, tough team that everyone knows will be a tough game. However, Golesh knows that at the end of the day, the only thing that matters to a lot of fans is the record.
"We're evaluated on wins and losses," Golesh said. "I'm fully aware of that — I've been doing this long enough to know that."
Auburn has notable games against Baylor, Florida, Tennessee, Georgia, LSU, Ole Miss and Alabama, among others, so it won't be the easiest year for the Tigers.
This story was originally published by Lindys Sports on Jul 6, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Lindys Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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