Auburn, Ala. – Jeff Jones, Auburn’s director of player development, has a long history with Alex Golesh, the Tigers’ first-year head football coach. Their relationship began when Golesh was 15 years old and played as an undersized lineman in the Ohio Capital Conference in Columbus under Jones’ coaching.
“He knew what to do,” Jones said. “If I put him in a game, I knew nobody was going to mess up an assignment because he was going to tell them what to do. He was a great teammate. He was never on the sideline pouting because he wasn’t playing. He was always ready to go.
“He was a model player and teammate because he knew what to do, was ready when he got his chance and was always rooting for his teammates, whether he was playing a ton or not.”
Now, about 25 years later, Jones and Golesh are colleagues at Auburn.
“There’s still a lot of that same person in him,” Jones said, “which he’s harnessed very well to be youthfully energetic with these young people.”
Over the past two decades as Golesh advanced from student assistant through various coaching roles to coordinator positions, he and Jones remained in contact. When Golesh became head coach at South Florida in 2023, one of his first hires was Jones.
“‘Just give the kids the same experience you gave me,’” Golesh told Jones. The words moved Jones: “I know the assignment. I got it. Anything and everything that touches these kids, we touch it, and that’s a great responsibility.”
Golesh spoke about his motivation for coaching during his introductory press conference on December 1: “I wanted to coach because I had incredible coaches growing up,” Golesh said. “I had elite examples of men of character, who care about young people, who give more of themselves than they ever take.”
Jones reflected on this affirmation: “I think any educator worth a darn does that,” Jones said. “We just want to – as he says – pour into others. I was just doing what I thought was the right thing. He’s very kind with his words and I certainly appreciate them. I’m grateful and humbled.
“Whatever we did to help him find that path, that’s great, that’s what we’re supposed to do. I’ve always felt he was built do something like this. He’s wired for it.”
The two families were neighbors while living in Columbus before Golesh’s junior year of high school. During rides to summer workouts, Jones noticed Golesh’s early passion for football and teaching ability.
“One day I said, ‘Hey I know you love football, and I know you can teach. Would you like to be a football coach?’” recalled Jones. After graduation, Jones offered Golesh a job at another high school where he worked.
“AG is super smart, not only book smart but aware, able to work with people, understands environments,” said Jones.
Jones also recommended Golesh for a student assistant position at Ohio State under head coach Jim Tressel and defensive line coach Jim Heacock—a role that helped launch Golesh’s career.
“Jim (Heacock) trusted him early on,” Jones said. “He’s in the middle of drills as an 18 or 19-year-old and was trusted to coach even one of his own high school teammates, Jay Richardson.”
Following college graduation from Ohio State University (OSU), Tressel helped Golesh secure graduate assistantships at Northern Illinois University (NIU) and Oklahoma State University (OSU), leading eventually to an assistant coaching job at Toledo from 2009-2011.
During their time at Toledo together—after stops at Illinois, Iowa State and UCF—Golesh told Jones: “‘Hey Coach, you’re going to come help me when I get my job, right?’” According to Jones: “‘Yeah, no problem. I got you.’ At the time it seemed far in the distance.”
In 2022 before his second season as Tennessee’s offensive coordinator under Josh Heupel—and after Tennessee led the nation in offense—Golesh received an offer from South Florida; soon after accepting it he called on Jones again.
That led Jones—a veteran administrator with three decades’ experience—to join efforts turning around South Florida’s Division-I program before following Golesh once more to Auburn.
“We love this young man like he’s our own,” said Jones about Golesh.
At Auburn now serving as director of player development—a role similar to being a high school principal—Jones describes working closely with all departments affecting student-athletes including academics and sports medicine while onboarding new players.
“We can have the ultimate impact which is to help them go out and play football fast and violently for Auburn University,” said Jones.“Our primary role other than loving hard on these kids is to communicate… We take a holistic approach… We work with anybody who touches those kids.”
“I’ll tell anybody who will listen that I’ve got the best job in the building because I get to work with the most valuable resource that the university has and it’s these kids,” added Jones.“Coaching is almost like being a classroom teacher… It’s helping each learner engage with the curriculum.”
So impressed by his former coach’s influence,Golesh made hiring “Jonesy” one of his top priorities both at South Florida then Auburn.“No job too big,no job too small—not afraid of anything.Works hard.His mantra: outwork everybody.He doesn’t say it;he does it.It’s fun trying keep up with him,”said Jones.
“I’m excited for the Auburn community to get know this young man like I do,” concluded Jones.“He genuinely cares about these kids.I can’t wait for this community see that in motion.They will absolutely fall in love with him because he cares about people.”
