Auburn Football Focuses on Edge Rushers, Running Backs, and Locker Room Culture

New head coach Alex Golesh emphasizes building a tough, unified team during spring practices.

Apr. 10, 2026 at 1:20am

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A fractured, geometric painting depicting a football field and players, with sharp, overlapping planes of color representing the intense, demanding nature of Auburn's spring practices.A cubist interpretation of Auburn's spring football practices captures the team's focus on rebuilding its culture and identity under new head coach Alex Golesh.Auburn Today

Auburn's spring football practices have highlighted progress in the Edge rusher group, intrigue in the running back room, and Golesh's efforts to repair the team's divided locker room culture. The new coaching staff is using demanding practices and blunt messaging to force buy-in and weed out players unwilling to embrace the program's standards.

Why it matters

Auburn is coming off a disappointing season and is undergoing a major rebuild under new head coach Alex Golesh. Establishing a strong team culture and getting players to fully buy in will be crucial to the Tigers' success in the coming years.

The details

The Edge rusher group has looked more versatile, confident and comfortable handling the mental demands of the defense. The running back room, with proven production and multiple former leading rushers, has the potential to become a real strength once the offense settles in. Golesh has been intentional about fixing the team's divided locker room, using demanding practices and blunt messaging to create a tougher daily environment and weed out players unwilling to embrace the program's standards.

  • Auburn held two spring practices this week.
  • Golesh made revealing comments to On3 Sports after last Thursday night's scrimmage.

The players

Alex Golesh

The new head coach of the Auburn Tigers, tasked with rebuilding the program and establishing a strong team culture.

Justin Hokanson

A reporter who covered Auburn's spring practices and discussed the team's progress with Cole Pinkston.

Cole Pinkston

A reporter who covered Auburn's spring practices and discussed the team's progress with Justin Hokanson.

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What they’re saying

“The goal is clear: force buy-in, expose who is willing to embrace the standard and naturally weed out anyone who does not want to be part of the rebuild.”

— Alex Golesh, Head Coach

What’s next

Auburn will hold two more spring practices this week as the team continues to work on building a strong culture and preparing for the upcoming season.

The takeaway

Golesh's focus on creating a tough, unified team culture through demanding practices and blunt messaging is a clear sign that he is committed to rebuilding Auburn football from the ground up. The progress in the Edge rusher and running back groups suggests the Tigers have talent to work with, but the team's ability to fully buy in to Golesh's vision will be crucial to their success.