Getting to Know the Goleshes
By Kate Larkin
When Alex Golesh was named the head football coach at Auburn, many fans had never heard that name. A quick Google search would confirm he is one of college football’s brightest offensive minds, who has experienced success everywhere he has been. But behind the headset is a husband, father and family man whose greatest priorities have little to do with touchdowns. During a relaxed conversation in their Auburn home, Alex and Alexis Golesh talked about marriage, family, coaching, community, and why they believe success is measured by much more than wins and losses.
Q: How did the two of you meet?
Alexis: We met at Oklahoma State. Alex was a graduate assistant, and I had finished graduate school there and was working in Tulsa. Mutual friends introduced us.
Alex: We went bowling and then to Hideaway Pizza. The next day, I told myself I needed to wait before I called her again, but I didn’t.
Q: What was your first impression of each other?
Alexis: He was incredibly funny and very interesting, but what stood out most was how cultured he seemed. I always say “cultured,” because I definitely wasn’t.
Alex: She was simple—in the best possible way. That’s what attracted me.
How did you end up getting married?
Alex: Eight or nine months after we started dating, I asked if she wanted to move to Toledo.
Alexis: I remember looking at a globe trying to figure out where Toledo even was. I’m, like, it’s on a Great Lake and I’ve never been to a Great Lake. I had barely been outside Arkansas and Oklahoma, so it was quite an adventure for me. We got engaged quickly and married about a year later.
Q: What’s something people don’t know about Alex?
Alexis: He’s hilarious. He loves his family deeply and wants to spend every possible minute with us. He doesn’t like sitting still. He’s always looking for something to do with our kids. I’ll say, “Let’s just chill at home,” but he doesn’t like to do that. He also does well under pressure and handles things so well.
Q: Alex, what might surprise people about you?
Alex: I’m pretty much an open book. I don’t hide much.
Q: What kind of music fills your house?
Alexis: Everything.
Alex: If I had to choose one genre, it would be country. Our family enjoys concerts together, and we have seen artists including Zach Bryan, Chris Stapleton and Luke Combs.
Q: Who is the better cook?
Alexis: Alex is actually the better cook. He’ll spend hours researching the perfect way to smoke meat. I don’t have that kind of time or patience.
Q: Who’s more competitive?
Alexis: Unfortunately…I am.
Alex: We can’t even finish a game of Monopoly because it gets too competitive.
Q: What do you enjoy doing together?
Alex: Sporting events, traveling, trying new restaurants. We’re both foodies. We love experiencing new places together.
Q: Through all the coaching changes and moves, what have you learned about each other?
Alexis: That Alex is incredibly calm under pressure. He handles it so well. Also, he doesn’t bring his job home.
Alex: Our family shouldn’t have to ride the emotional roller coaster of wins and losses. We have so little time together during the season that when I’m home, I want to enjoy that time.
Q: Coaching is a demanding profession. What’s the secret to keeping your marriage strong?
Alex: Alexis isn’t impressed by titles or coaching. She’s never made being “the coach’s wife” her identity. She’s very independent. Like, if I offered to make a phone call because of my position, she’d say, “No, I want to be normal people.”
Alexis: My identity isn’t wrapped up in football. I’m a mom, Alex’s wife, and a dietitian. I love the lifestyle and I love the players and the relationships, but that’s different from defining myself by my husband’s job.
Q: So, you enjoy the football lifestyle without letting it define you. How do you keep that perspective?
Alexis: I get involved in things I’m genuinely passionate about. In Tampa, that was Young Life. Here in Auburn, I’m still discovering where I’ll plug in, but whatever I do will be meaningful—not just because it looks good.
Q: Outside of football, what matters most?
Alexis: Well, definitely my family. I want to raise my children to be moral, ethical and involved in church. I want them to be grounded and to appreciate everything, and to know that this lifestyle is unique and they are very, very blessed to get to go and do the things that we get to do. Neither Alex nor I grew up like that.
Q: You’ve only recently arrived in Auburn. What has impressed you so far?
Alexis: The people. Everywhere we’ve lived has been wonderful, but Auburn has taken kindness to another level. Neighbors immediately reached out, offered help, introduced their children to ours. It makes a huge difference during a transition. People have gone out of their way to welcome us.
Alex: Everywhere we go, people ask, “Do you love Auburn yet?” They genuinely care that you fall in love with this place because they have.
Q: What has surprised you most about Auburn?
Alex: How deeply people care—not just about football, but about Auburn itself.
Q: Was there a moment when Auburn suddenly felt real?
Alex: My introductory press conference. Walking through Tiger Walk and seeing that crowd after several sleepless nights…that was the moment I realized just how special this place is.
Q: How would you describe this season of your lives?
Alex: Professionally, it feels like the best chapter of our journey.
Alexis: It’s an incredible opportunity—not just for Alex, but for our whole family to be in a town like this. There are so many incredible opportunities to go and do great things.
Q: Alexis, what role do you naturally find yourself playing within Alex’s football program?
Alexis: Caregiver. I want everyone to have what they need. Whenever we move somewhere new, I put together lists of pediatricians, dentists, salons, doctors and other local resources for the coaching families. It just helps make the transition easier. I also love getting to know the players and their families.
Q: Alex, what kind of player thrives in your program?
Alex: Someone who cares, competes and values relationships. If those things aren’t important to you, you probably won’t fit.
Q: If your players described you in three words, what would they say?
Alex: I care. I’m real. I am competitive.
Q: Twenty years from now, what do you hope your players say about you?
Alex: That I cared about more than football. I cared about them more as a person than anything that happened on a football field.
Alex: I want every player to leave with a career path, not just a degree or a job. Degrees don’t guarantee you anything, and a job doesn’t, either. Jobs are what my parents did for their whole lives, but a career is what you want to do. I also want these young men to have examples of what great husbands, fathers and leaders look like. If they leave our program prepared for life and become outstanding men, then we’ve succeeded. I tell parents when we recruit their sons, that really the only two things that I care about when we bring them in is that they leave with a career path and not just a degree. They need something they’re passionate about. It could be football, it could be writing, it could be public relations; it doesn’t matter what it is, it just need to be something that will give you a sustainable career, both financially and self-fulfilling. That’s the first thing I care about. The second thing I care about is that we give them elite examples. Everybody comes in with a different foundation of family, and we sit with so many kids who grew up with no father, or sometimes there’s no mom sitting there. I care about all of that.
Q: Why do you and Alexis make such an effort to stay connected with former players?
Alexis: We care about them no matter what they go on to do. Not just if they go further in football. We just love connecting with those guys and their families. We love seeing them get married. Every year it’s like, “Can we make it to this wedding? Can we make it to that wedding?” We love attending weddings and celebrating life’s milestones with players whenever we can.
Q: Finally, is there anything else people should know about the two of you?
Alex: None of this happens without Alexis.
The Goleshes’s priorities clearly aren’t found on a football field, or in rankings or records. They center their lives on faith, family, and building meaningful relationships. The game of football may have brought them to Auburn, but it’s the investment in lives—not just winning games—that they hope will be their legacy. War Eagle.
