When Alex Golesh took the Auburn job, Tiger fans have hopes for a high-scoring offense coming. To ensure that vision becomes a reality, Golesh brought his right-hand man from South Florida: Joel Gordon. Serving as the Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks coach, Gordon is the man tasked with revitalizing Auburn’s passing game.
I have to be honest. This gives me not-so-fond flashbacks of Hugh Freeze and Kent Austin, with less years of experience. The part that gives me a bit of optomism is the more recent success. While both Freeze and Golesh came from G5 programs, Golesh’s time in the SEC (albeit as a coordinator) is more recent that Freeze.
Gordon’s track record is nothing short of spectacular. At USF, he turned Byrum Brown into a national sensation, helping him become one of the few players in FBS history to pass for 3,000 yards and rush for 1,000 in a single season. Gordon and Golesh have a shared history dating back to Iowa State, meaning there is a level of “telepathy” in their play-calling that Auburn hasn’t seen in years. This SHOULD allow Golesh to focus on being a Head Coach while placing trust in Gordan to be a playcaller.
For Auburn fans, Gordon represents a shift toward a “player-first” scheme. He doesn’t just run a system; he adapts it to his quarterback’s strengths. This is another stark difference between this regime and the previous one. Hugh Freeze and staff seemed hellbent on player “types.” While Golesh and his current staff have promised to adapt the play calling to the personnel. Whether Auburn sticks with the current roster or dives into the portal for a new signal-caller, Gordon’s presence ensures the Tigers will be playing at a blistering tempo that will keep SEC defenses on their heels.
