When the Auburn Tigers host the Arkansas Razorbacks this weekend on the Plains, the coaching battle will be one of the focal points of the contest. It's not because of a friendship, rather different.
Auburn head coach Alex Golesh and Arkansas head coach Ryan Silverfield saw each other frequently at their previous spots, at USF and Memphis, respectively. Now, the two will meet as the main men of their new SEC programs.
There's a bigger catch on the Auburn end, too: Golesh has never beat Silverfield . The Bulls lost to the Tigers all three seasons that he was apart of USF before coming to the Plains in the 2025 offseason.
Despite this, during his media availability on Monday, the Arkansas head coach says that every year is different with an offense like the one Golesh runs.
"Obviously, we faced them three times at our previous stop. This will be our fourth time going against them, and every year provides different challenges," Silverfield said. "They're unique, but that tempo, you got to be ready."
Another advantage is seeing Golesh's partner-in-crime throughout those seasons at quarterback once again: Byrum Brown. He's played Silverfield twice before, in 2023 and 2025, throwing for at least 250 yards and 100 rushing yards in each game.
"I mean, he does everything," Silverfield said. 'He makes reads, he understands, I think in when anytime you're dealing with a quarterback that's been in the system with 40 starts, he's going to know right? It's like having an extra coach on the field."
The former Memphis head coach describes Auburn's offense as "fast" and "quick", saying that the Razorbacks are going to be on their toes all day. A lot of that starts with Brown under center, who's amassed over 1,500 passing yards and 450 rushing yards.
"He's their leading rusher, and so anytime the quarterback's the leading runner for a team, you're going to have your hands full," Silverfield said. "So, we have to prepare. We got to look at that schematically."
As for Golesh, there's a large amount of respect between both head coaches, who have climbed up the ranks since their times as coordinators. Silverfield sees his opponent as a person who will continue to go up the ranks, showing signs of success every place he's been.
"He's one of those guys that role to those ranks and never played down in college football," he said, "and just kind of worked his way up, and os respect to him in that manner."
Arkansas expects Golesh to "throw the kitchen sink" at the Razorbacks at home this weekend, and Silverfield will look to be ready for it to move to 4-0 against him as head coach.
"We're going to get his best bet," he said. 'I mean, two of the games have been battles, down to the last few possessions, and so we know that's what it's going to be. They're a very talented team."
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/auburn as Why Arkansas's Head Coach Is Turning a New Page in Fourth Contest Against Auburn HC Alex Golesh .
