The lack of results was probably the biggest dealbreaker when it came to Hugh Freeze’s firing. But what exacerbated Freeze’s failure to get results was the optics of his devotion to golf. Journalists often reported Freeze to be swinging clubs at the golf course even when coaching priorities demanded his attention. Frustration mounted, but the head coach refused to budge and ultimately paid the price with his job. Now, new head coach Alex Golesh knows the Auburn fanbase’s aversion to golf and is taking subtle digs after making it clear about his ‘golf’ interest.

Al.com’s Peter Rauterkus asked Alex Golesh about his detailed schedule from spring to pre-season camp during a March 6 podcast. Instead of detailing it directly, Golesh took a subtle dig at Hugh Freeze. “I don’t know if you were waiting on that we’re gonna hit the golf course or not, but we got a lot of stuff to do,” Golesh said after explaining his schedule.

Alex Golesh has crafted his persona as the polar opposite of what Freeze had done. Since joining in November, he has brought in 60 new players to take the program in a new direction. The first year for Golesh is thus important to lay the foundation and get the required momentum to push forward with his plans. Moreover, Golesh has comprehensive plans for spring practice, which begins on March 17, and explains how he plans the whole offseason.

“As coaches, it’s all new to us,” Golesh said. “The guys that were here, the guys that we brought in, how will they mesh? What’s the identity we’re creating? As a head coach, you have an idea where you want it to be, but it has to happen organically. What I’m most excited about is making it hard and making them learn through it.” While Golesh is doing all that, the 41-year-old is also avoiding Hugh Freeze’s mistakes.

“The only problem we didn’t foresee is that he wanted to play golf way more than the coach did,” an Auburn booster said about Hugh Freeze. According to reports, Freeze’s love for golf knew no regard for media perception or his team’s performance. Freeze was often seen on the golf course on Sundays, barely a day after his team had taken losses.

At the time, Freeze was also battling cancer. He was diagnosed with an early stage of prostate cancer before the 2025 season. But the head coach still took the reins of the program and decided to reassess his health after the season ended. He relied on “natural” remedies to treat it and, in July, even said that he felt “great.” Maybe Freeze took that golf venture to take his mind off the illness. Nevertheless, donor frustration and fan sentiment never improved.

An Auburn booster detailed how he spotted Hugh Freeze at a golf course before a Friday game in 2025. However, the former head coach was without his clubs. But he still came to “watch guys play golf.” According to another report, Freeze golfed 10 days in June, just when high school recruiting is paramount and needs special attention. With all of it widely reported in the media, fury naturally erupted among the Tigers’ fans. This isn’t the first time Golesh brought up Hugh Freeze’s golf past.

Alex Golesh shows why he is also a cultural fit at Auburn

Auburn, after winning the initial three games in 2025, went on to have a 4-5 record in the first 9 games that led to Freeze’s firing. In all, Auburn compiled a disappointing 15-19 record with the team and went 6-16 in SEC play. Whether Freeze’s golfing hindered his coaching or not can be debatable. But when a team needs attention, focusing elsewhere is bound to be seen negatively, and that’s exactly how it played out. Alex Golesh is coming prepared to shape that public perception

“That’s a setup question. I’ve been here long enough to know that,” Golesh said when a reporter asked about his interest in golf. He did highlight his wife’s, daughter’s, and son’s interest in golf, describing his wife as an “elite” golfer. But the 41-year-old was clear on his golf interest. “I like football more than golf. And I’m terrible (at golf).”

Apart from being a great coach, Alex Golesh is also a great cultural fit for the SEC program. He has emphasized a “process-driven” mindset, which stands in contrast to Freeze’s “high variance chaos at Auburn.” Not just that, Golesh is also working closely with the leadership, including AD John Cohen. He also recognized their commitment to the glory that Auburn wants to achieve. More than anything, Golesh understands how to leverage the media and influence public perception.