Details emerge on how SMU players learned of Sonny Dykes departure

SMU Mustangs’ head coach Sonny Dykes has officially accepted an offer to coach at rival TCU. As the news made the rounds, a group close to Dykes found out the news the hard way. Instead of hearing it directly from the coach himself, players, coaches and other staff members found out via social media, while getting on the bus to head to the team hotel.

On Sunday, Dykes addressed the rumors to the team directly, but did not go into his plans for after the season with members of the team.

“He just told us his No. 1 priority is beating Tulsa,” senior offensive lineman Hayden Howerton — the school record holder for games played — said Tuesday. “And like anything goes, at the end of the year, we’ll all see what happens. He didn’t give one way or the other, and I’m OK with that, because at least he was honest with us and not lying.”

In addition to Dykes departure, reports said that former SMU offensive coordinator and current officer coordinator for the Miami Hurricanes, Rhett Lashlee, will take over as the Mustang’s new head coach.

Dykes to TCU

Less than 30 days removed from the split with Patterson, Horned Frogs athletics director Jeremiah Donati went just 35 miles down the road to Dallas to pick up his new head coach.

Dykes has led SMU to a 30-16 record in his four seasons at the helm on the Hilltop. The Mustangs achieved rankings in the AP top 25 in each of his last three seasons since taking over for former Arkansas head coach Chad Morris. They ascended as high as No. 15 in 2019 before finishing the season unranked with a loss in the Boca Raton Bowl.

This year, SMU is 8-3 on the year, a record that includes a win over Gary Patterson’s TCU squad in Week 4. Since losing their undefeated record to Houston four weeks ago, the Mustangs have lost three of four games. The No. 2-ranked Cincinnati Bearcats held Sonny Dykes’ high-powered offense to 14 points this past weekend.

Despite the recent losses, SMU’s offense ranks in the top-10 in points per game, thanks to junior quarterback Tanner Mordecai. The offense has finished in the top 15 in scoring in each of the last three years under Dykes.