By Michael GallagherShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberWhen the Auburn Tigers announced the hiring of former South Florida head coach Alex Golesh to the same position on Sunday, the move was met with mixed reviews.
In one camp, there’s those who watched Golesh lead the USF Bulls to a 23-15 record over the last three seasons, including a 9-3 mark this year, who believe he’s just the man to lead Auburn back to relevancy after five disappointing seasons under Bryan Harsin and Hugh Freeze.
More News: 4-Star LSU WR Enters Transfer Portal Immediately After Lane Kiffin Hire
In the other camp are those who question if Golesh is ready for a big job that comes with the demanding expectations of coaching in the SEC.
And while analysts certainly won’t hesitate to voice their opinions about Golesh and whether or not he was a smart hire for Auburn, what really matters is how he’s perceived among his players and potential recruits, which is why what one Tiger commit recently said after Golesh’s hire could be cause for concern.
More News: Bill Belichick, North Carolina Hit With Brutal News After NC State Defeat
...More News: Georgia Suffers Huge Transfer Portal Blow Ahead of SEC Championship Game
Speaking with Rivals after the head-coaching news was made official, four-star wide receiver commit Jase Mathews had a pretty underwhelming first impression of Golesh’s hire.
“To be honest I don’t know too much [about him],” Mathews said. “I look forward to getting to know him and find out how things are going to be.
“… Definitely a 90% chance [that I sign with Auburn],” he added. “Ole Miss and A&M have been pushing. I give Ole Miss 7% (chance) and (Texas) A&M about (3%).”
Mathews had been considered a hard Auburn commit for months (he announced his commitment to the Tigers back on Aug. 8), but fans likely won’t overlook the fact that he left the door open—even if only slightly—for Ole Miss and Texas A&M to possible flip him.
More News: Chip Kelly Linked to Major College Head-Coaching Job After Raiders Firing
Request Reprint & LicensingSubmit CorrectionView Editorial & AI Guidelines
Add Newsweek as a preferred source on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search.Recommended For You
NCAABill Belichick, North Carolina Hit With Brutal News After NC State Defeat3 min read
NCAA$37 Million SEC Coach Fired After 41-0 Loss: Report2 min read
NCAAJimbo Fisher Could Replace Auburn’s New Coach at USF3 min read
NCAAUrban Meyer Reacts to Jon Sumrall Being Named Florida’s New Head Coach3 min read
NCAALane Kiffin’s First Game as LSU Head Coach Revealed3 min read
NCAA4-Star LSU WR Enters Transfer Portal Immediately After Lane Kiffin Hire2 min readRelated Podcasts
Top Stories
NewsHegseth Speaks Out About Admiral Who Allegedly Ordered Second Boat Strike5 min read
NewsUncommon Knowledge: Trump Closes Venezuelan Airspace, but Not NATO Airspace5 min read
NewsWhite House Reveals New Details on Donald Trump’s MRI5 min read
NewsIndiana Republican Says He Received Bomb Threats After Breaking With Trump4 min read
U.S.Justice Sonia Sotomayor Warns of ‘Two Extremes’ in Supreme Court Case4 min read
PoliticsDonald Trump Gets New Warning Over US Attacking Venezuela5 min readTrending
ImmigrationGreen Card Update: New Changes for Holders in December6 min read
FloridaAmazon Driver Sees Food Left for Stray Cats—Ring Cam Captures What He Does3 min read
ViralCat Arrives at Vet for Neuter, Staff Not Ready for What’s in the Carrier3 min read
NWSWinter Storm Warning as 8 Inches of Snow to Hit North and Midwest3 min read
Black FridayBlack Friday Spending Raises Eyebrows Over US Economy8 min readOpinion
OpinionForeign Energy Companies Have No Home in Our Forests | Opinion4 min read
OpinionThe Hemp Ban Shows America Still Works | Opinion4 min read
OpinionConventional Wisdom: The Somali Minnesota Welfare Fraud Edition4 min read
OpinionRedefining Professional Degrees Will Hurt Everyday Americans | Opinion5 min read
OpinionAI Is Coming for Our Most Intimate Communications. Congress Must Act | Opinion5 min read
