Alex Golesh stepped into his new SEC gig, and the baggage of the program’s recent past awaited him. With a battalion of players accompanying him from South Florida to Auburn, the spring practice came with high hopes for the new head coach. The Tigers did hit the throttle for the first three practices. But the fourth came with a hiccup that led Golesh to be brutally honest with the feedback. 

“I thought today coming out, the energy was not awesome,” Golesh said.

This take came at the beginning of the practice. Later on, the players tried to do some damage control, putting up a fight late in the session through situational periods, including third down and a two-minute drill. But was it enough? No. Golesh still sounded off when asked about his overall takeaway. 

“I thought today probably was our worst day that we’ve had in the sense of energy, detail. I wasn’t super fired up today,” said the head coach. “I told our staff, I’m like, man, I’m waiting for a bomb to go off.”

It’s information overload right now. New installs and situational reps kicked in. So, the mental load was real, as reflected midway through the practice, and the Tigers’ wheels started to wobble.

Well, inconsistency will be there. The team’s still getting its feet wet in spring ball at a new stop, a new level of ball, and a different conference landscape. However, Golesh’s program set a high bar this spring, leaving the head coach impressed. Going by Auburn’s transfer portal haul, out of 39 transfers, 14 are from the Bulls. And among the 14, 11 are on offense. So, after their first spring practice, he proudly boasted that his team did not disappoint.

“I think today, huge,” the head coach said how the South Florida transfers found their rhythm in the spring practice. “Offensively, that first group is, you’re still trying to figure out how this all goes. And we’re unique offensively, so that part is tough. But the centerpiece is huge.”

Even though Auburn football brought high energy to practice, they faltered in their latest practice. The first couple of practices feel clean because they’re basic installs. But by the third practice, the playbook starts stacking. Formations and motions come into play. And Golesh is not the only one to go home disappointed after the spring practice. Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham, too, sounded off.

“I don’t know if I watched today and was like, ‘Holy cow, that is a violent team.’ If we want to be a team that’s violent and physical, we’ve got to be able to see it in practice,” he said after the Sun Devils’ spring practice. 

Can Auburn find the energy it showed early in spring practice? Not known about others, but Golesh’s quarterback, Byrum Brown, has some goals he has yet to tick off. 

Alex Golesh’s trusted weapon dived straight into business

Golesh knew he was lucky when Brown followed him from South Florida to Auburn and landed in the top 10 of ESPN’s pre-spring QB rankings. Back in their former program, the head coach and quarterback duo worked as a team to push the USF team into a Top-25 contender. Moving into Auburn, Golesh’s quarterback kept his vision clear.

“Some unfinished business,” said the quarterback, citing the reason behind his transfer on the Bleav podcast. “The goal is to win the Natty and win the SEC title as well. So, want to accomplish those feats as a team and then, wherever my path may lead, that’s where it leads. Wanted to come back and do that with a coaching staff that’s believed in me since they first got there.”

However, from earlier spring practice, Brown’s tape went viral for his unorthodox throwing motion. It’s not one fluid, quick-twitch release. Golesh’s quarterback takes an extra beat. So concerns are popping up that extra motion might cost him some quickness on the release. Currently, Practice 4 brought some turbulence, and now the Tigers have to flip the script and re-earn Golesh’s trust. Can they do it?