Alex Golesh Ranked Shockingly Low Among SEC Head Coaches Ahead of 2026 Season

There are plenty of downsides and doubts when your team hires a new head coach, especially based on recent events, if it's the Auburn Tigers. 

Bryan Harsin and Hugh Freeze didn't work out on The Plains, so newly hired coach Alex Golesh has plenty of fans despite changes inside the Auburn program. The expectations are high, but also many have their doubts. 

That may be one of the reasons why On3 was so low on their recently released SEC Coach Rankings. Golesh came in 13th of 16 coaches entering the season. He was only ahead of Mississippi State's Jeff Lebby, Arkansas's Ryan Silverfield, and Will Stein of Kentucky. 

He is the second highest newcomer on the list, as Jon Sumrall of Florida appeared at number 10. 

If the reason he is so low on the list is because he has no "proof of concept" inside the SEC, then I'm fine with it, even if he is way too low on the list to begin with. His lack of "proof" hasn't slowed him down from being a top ten recruiting class for the 2027 cycle, so incoming players believe he has what it takes to make success happen for the Tigers. 

When Golesh's first season comes to a close, I expect him to be nowhere lower than inside the top ten, especially if Auburn exceeds expectations and secures bowl eligibility before the Iron Bowl kicks off. A few upset wins could easily change the perspective on him fast as well.

One name that he will surely pass is South Carolina's head coach Shane Beamer. The Gamecocks leader is certainly in warm water, and is the most likely candidate among all SEC head coaches to be fired if the season doesn't work out in their favor.

The best the rest of the SEC can do is to keep sleeping on Golesh and be surprised when he takes the conference by storm over the next few seasons. Something that may seem unrealistic if you are remembering the last decade for Auburn, but based on the way he has hit the ground running since joining the program, it is absolutely possible.