Auburn has spent the past several seasons trapped in the same frustrating pattern: playing well for long stretches, only to fall apart in the closing minutes. Under Hugh Freeze, those problems became a defining storyline, especially this season, when six of the team’s seven losses came by a single score.
That inability to finish eventually cost Freeze his job. But even after his firing, Auburn’s fourth-quarter issues persisted. Interim coach D.J. Durkin injected some energy into the program, yet the Tigers still dropped tight SEC games to Vanderbilt and Alabama. It was clear the problem ran deeper than coaching turnover.
Now, Auburn turns to Alex Golesh, a coach known for building disciplined, explosive, and relentlessly conditioned teams. In his introductory press conference, Golesh addressed the team’s late-game struggles head-on, explaining that closing out opponents begins long before Saturdays.
“I think the biggest thing when you talk about closing out games, finishing, is a mindset,” Golesh said. “You train year-round in our sport, for 12 guaranteed opportunities, and you fight your tail off for 13, and 14, and 15, and even 16. The mindset that has to be built, the level of accountability that trains discipline within a program is what prepares you for the fourth quarter.”
Golesh emphasized that this mentality isn’t built overnight. His message remained consistent that discipline is built daily, and sweating out everything is a major part of it.
“You have to train it. We're going to train the fourth quarter part of what we do, starting the very first second that we start in January with our guys,” he said. “But you train discipline daily to be able to go finish in the fourth quarter. That piece of it is simply who wants it more.”
Auburn chose Golesh not just for motivational reasons but because of his offensive track record. He turned South Florida into one of the nation’s most explosive units and previously helped Tennessee’s offense reach elite status in the SEC.
The Tigers finished with a 5-7 record, but Golesh brings a system known for rapid improvement, player development, and aggressive play-calling. Auburn desperately needs a new identity, and Golesh’s approach offers exactly that; at least that's the message clearly sent.
