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Alex Golesh reveals biggest regret at USF prior to taking Auburn job

IMG_6598by: Nick Kosko05/06/26nickkosko59

Auburn head coach Alex Golesh does have one regret from his time at USF before taking the plunge into the SEC. While he was very successful, he did have some advice for his younger self, as he told Adam Breneman.

Golesh went 23-15 at USF, never having a losing season in those three years. You would think he wouldn’t have regrets other than winning more games!

But, Golesh might take his own advice as he takes over Auburn in a pressure cooker of a job in 2026. In fact, it might good advice for anyone in any job in coaching, or in general.

“Slow down, take a deep breath and figure out what’s the best way to actually do it,” Golesh said. “I felt like decisions had to be made so quickly. There’s a problem or situation? I gotta make an immediate decision. I was trying to be a master of a lot of things, and I felt like I was super average at a lot of it, to learn how to delegate that first year in South Florida. So the ability to step back and let people do their job and trust that they’re going to do their job while guiding them.”

Golesh signed a six-year contract with Auburn at the end of the 2025 season. He spent the last four years as the head coach at South Florida and led the Bulls to a 9-3 record in 2025.

Auburn fans are hoping that Golesh can make the Tigers a championship contender. The last time Auburn won at least 10 games was in 2017 (10-4), which is also the last time the team has played in an SEC Championship game.

“This is going to be the most exciting brand of football we have played around here for a really long time,” Golesh said when he was introduced as Auburn’s head coach in November. “We’re going to play hard, we’re going to be tough, we’re going to do things the right way, and we’re bringing championships right here to Auburn! We will bring pride back to the Plains!”

Of course, Auburn is a different animal competing in the SEC. It comes with its own pressure, especially with in-state rival Alabama. Not only that, Auburn last won the national title in 2010 and played for the crown in 2013, both prior to the CFP era.