The Auburn Tigers are beginning a new era this spring under a new head coach in Alex Golesh, and the former South Florida standout young coach is already making an impression on his team.

While Golesh’s predecessor Hugh Freeze was elite on the recruiting trail, the results never translated to game day. As a result, the Tigers have a new head coach for the third time in the last half decade.

After spring practice this week, one Auburn star — linebacker Xavier Atkins — made it very clear that things have changed when he was asked what he has seen from Golesh so far.

“It’s different,” Atkins said. “It’s more structure and leadership. It’s not where they’re asking, they’re demanding greatness…you are gonna show up and do your job. And that’s the type of stuff that we need as a team. Last year we shouldn’t have felt like we can just walk in here…you gotta come in here and do your job and prove yourself. Nobody’s job is guaranteed, so that’s the biggest thing he emphasized in the first practice. We’re gonna make sure we compete every day.”

While Atkins likely did not mean his words as a shot at Freeze, it’s hard to take it any other way than the culture on The Plains was not where it needed to be while the former head coach was in charge.

If Golesh can fix it and get his team to be able to get it done on Saturdays, he is going to have a tremendous chance of succeeding as the Auburn head coach.