The first-year head coach at Auburn, Alex Golesh, is fully aware of the urgency surrounding his debut season, and he and his staff are approaching every detail with meticulous attention.
To that end, Golesh hired Gio Grassi as the Tigers’ strength coach, and the players have endured intense summer conditioning sessions designed to get them ready for the fast-paced offensive system that Golesh and offensive coordinator Joel Gordon intend to deploy.
Fall camp is bringing no reprieve. Golesh has arranged for the entire roster to reside at the Marriott Grand National for nearly two weeks—a stretch intended to forge unity and cultivate leadership, and one that could end up being the most demanding challenge the team has faced yet.
“Hard things make people either rise to the occasion or they make people crumble,” Golesh told Auburn 247. “And so we still need hard, like really hard. We’re gonna create tough situations. Our players need it, our coaches need it too. Now we’re at a point like man you gotta react, you gotta be able to adjust to situations. Guys will get banged up, like who’s next? How ready are we? How much depth do we have? How do we respond to that as coaches? So, just like our players need it, our coaches need it too. And we’re gonna create some of that, while some of that will naturally happen.”
On the defensive side, defensive back Eric Winters noted that the rigorous summer regimen has fostered a deeper mutual reliance among the group.
“When we’re out on the field, I look to my left, I look to my right, or I look in front of me, I can trust that guy,” Winters said, according to 1819 News. “I believe in that guy. He’s got my back, and I’ve got his.”
Furthermore, Golesh stressed that fall camp will be dedicated to developing the team’s leaders, particularly given the limited time this roster has had to gel and the number of younger players who will need to rise to the occasion this season.
“[T]here’s a handful of guys that are confident in their ability to lead to more,” Golesh said. “And the hope is, as roles get defined that guys feel more and more comfortable. I’m going to continue to empower them. Part of staying all together and being around each other all day, that will help define it.”
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