By waiting on Auburn and not signing a midweek deal with Arkansas, Alex Golesh likely positioned himself to earn an additional $10 million in guaranteed salary, per the terms of his new contract with Auburn University that were released Monday.
The six-year deal comes with an average annual salary well more than $7 million and features a total guarantee of $44.25 million.
The escalating deal begins with a Year 1 salary of $6.75 million on an agreement that Auburn shows was finalized Saturday night after the Tigers lost at home to Alabama and USF closed its regular season with a win.
The Year 1 term runs Nov. 30, 2025, through Dec. 31, 2026 on a salary that would have ranked No. 36 nationally, per the USA Today coaches’ salary database, and is $15,000 more than the $6.735m amount fired Auburn coach Hugh Freeze earned this year. Golesh earned $2.5 million this season at USF.
Each subsequent year on Golesh’s pact increases by $250,000 in guaranteed additional salary, culminating with an $8 million base pay for 2031.
But the incentives are where Golesh has a chance to zoom into the upper-tier of college coaches.
Any wins Golesh and the Tigers secure above nine are seven-figure additions to the coach’s pocket. A ninth win nets a $1.5 million bonus, a 10th win “an additional $2 million” and “an additional $1 million” if 11 and/or 12 wins are achieved.
Thus, Golesh could add $5.5 million to his salary with an undefeated regular season or additional wins in the postseason.
There are incentives for the Southeastern Conference Championship game, as well as the College Football Playoffs and also individual coaching honors as well as getting Auburn ranked in the final top 25 national polls.
The SEC title-game bonuses are $150,000 for an appearance and $300,000 for a championship; any CFP appearance is at minimum a $1 million bomus.
Additionally, Golesh can earn bonuses of $250,000 apiece for reaching the CFP quarterfinals and semifinals; a CFP Championship appearance means $500,000 and a title is another $1 million.
These figures reflect that Auburn is committing roughly $60 million right now to its head football coaching position; the school owes the fired Freeze more than $15 million, per terms of his original deal with the university three years ago.
Auburn is scheduled to open its 2026 season Sept. 5 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, against the Baylor Bears.
