Alex Golesh has never been shy about crediting Josh Heupel for his rise in coaching, and this week he admitted he might be a little too generous with the praise. It is easy to see why. The two have a coaching bond that stretches back years, and it is about to collide on the field in a big way.
I give him a lot of credit publicly, I feel like maybe TOO much.Auburn Head Coach, Alex Golesh
Where It All Started
Golesh joined Heupel’s staff at UCF in 2020 as offensive coordinator and tight ends coach, his first year working directly for the man who would shape the next chapter of his career. When Heupel took the Tennessee job in 2021, Golesh followed him to Knoxville and brought the same title with him.
Former Tennessee OC and Auburn HC Alex Golesh detailed how he and Josh Heupel built one of the nation’s best offenses 🍊New Auburn head coach Alex Golesh detailed how he and Tennessee coach Josh Heupel engineered the nation’s best offense in 2022 earlier this week.Golesh, on… pic.twitter.com/ltcNWvgoCU
— FOX Sports Knoxville (@FOXSportsKnox) May 20, 2026
Building the Vols Offense
Golesh spent two seasons, 2021 and 2022, running Tennessee’s offense while Heupel called plays. The results were hard to ignore. The Vols jumped from 7 wins in 2021 to an 11-2 finish in 2022, capped by an Orange Bowl win over Clemson, and the offense led the nation with more than 500 yards and 47 points per game behind quarterback Hendon Hooker. Golesh also coached tight ends during that stretch and helped develop players like Jacob Warren and Princeton Fant.
The Climb to Head Coach
After the 2022 season, Golesh left Knoxville to become the head coach at South Florida, where he spent three years and posted a 23-15 record while continuing to run a fast, high-scoring offense. That success eventually caught Auburn’s attention, and the Tigers hired Golesh as their head coach in December 2025.
A Staff Full of Familiar Faces
Golesh won’t be the only former Tennessee coach returning to Knoxville. Auburn’s staff also includes Kodi Burns, who served as Tennessee’s wide receivers coach under Heupel, and Tim Banks, who spent five seasons as the Vols’ defensive coordinator. Burns is now Auburn’s associate head coach/co-offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach, while Banks serves as co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach.
The Rematch in Knoxville
Golesh gets his first crack at his old boss on October 3, 2026, when Auburn visits Neyland Stadium. Heupel has already said he is looking forward to it, calling it a unique chance to face someone from his own coaching tree. With so many familiar faces on both sidelines, from Golesh himself to assistants like Banks and Burns, this one figures to be as much a family reunion as it is a football game.
Golesh has made no secret of how much respect he still has for Heupel, even joking this week that he may give him too much credit publicly now that the two are recruiting rivals. Come the first Saturday in October, all the compliments will be set aside, and the game will be played on the field…