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AUBURN — The narrative of meddling boosters has long followed Auburn football, and it wasn't something Alex Golesh dismissed before becoming the program's head coach.
In an interview with On3 this week, Golesh acknowledged the Auburn opening came with questions surrounding outside involvement from donors. Those concerns were addressed, he said, enough so he didn't feel they hindered the opportunity on the Plains.
"Everything you said is everything I heard for years,” Golesh told On3. “It’s all these outside people. Well, you have to have confidence in a plan that you’re going to essentially control it. That was a huge part of the conversation going in, was, ‘Is there going be a bunch of outside influences on this thing?’ Like, I just won’t do it. It’s not worth it."
Two months in, Golesh hasn't seen any rumors carry much substance.
“Are there people involved in helping fund this operation? Hell yeah, you need those people," Golesh said. "It’s also being very real with them, it’s having conversations, and it’s being really honest. It’s giving them the plan, and now people are involved in the talent acquisition and retention. Do they have a right to know? They have a right to know what you’re spending money on. But you have to be really careful. If you’re going to spend money and then want to be involved in decision-making, then we’re good. We don’t need your money. If you’re upfront and honest from the beginning, you’ve got a chance.”
Meddling boosters were a topic of discussion, albeit a brief one, for Auburn's latest coaching search. One day after firing Hugh Freeze, athletics director John Cohen downplayed the notion of having to push back against donors swaying any decisions within the athletic department, adding he was "the committee" charged with hiring Freeze's successor.
"I've heard all these myths about things like donors at Auburn, or board of trustee members, or administrators or power brokers in the Auburn family," Cohen said. "That has not been my experience in three years, not one time."
Adam Cole is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at [email protected] or on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, @colereporter.To support Adam's work, please subscribe to the Montgomery Advertiser.
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Alex Golesh details approach for handling Auburn football boosters
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In an interview with On3 this week, Golesh acknowledged the Auburn opening came with questions surrounding outside involvement from donors. Those concerns were addressed, he said, enough so he didn't feel they hindered the opportunity on the Plains.
"Everything you said is everything I heard for years,” Golesh told On3. “It’s all these outside people. Well, you have to have confidence in a plan that you’re going to essentially control it. That was a huge part of the conversation going in, was, ‘Is there going be a bunch of outside influences on this thing?’ Like, I just won’t do it. It’s not worth it."
Two months in, Golesh hasn't seen any rumors carry much substance.
“Are there people involved in helping fund this operation? Hell yeah, you need those people," Golesh said. "It’s also being very real with them, it’s having conversations, and it’s being really honest. It’s giving them the plan, and now people are involved in the talent acquisition and retention. Do they have a right to know? They have a right to know what you’re spending money on. But you have to be really careful. If you’re going to spend money and then want to be involved in decision-making, then we’re good. We don’t need your money. If you’re upfront and honest from the beginning, you’ve got a chance.”
Meddling boosters were a topic of discussion, albeit a brief one, for Auburn's latest coaching search. One day after firing Hugh Freeze, athletics director John Cohen downplayed the notion of having to push back against donors swaying any decisions within the athletic department, adding he was "the committee" charged with hiring Freeze's successor.
"I've heard all these myths about things like donors at Auburn, or board of trustee members, or administrators or power brokers in the Auburn family," Cohen said. "That has not been my experience in three years, not one time."
Adam Cole is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at [email protected] or on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, @colereporter.To support Adam's work, please subscribe to the Montgomery Advertiser.
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Alex Golesh details approach for handling Auburn football boosters
Continue reading...
