TCU officially names Sonny Dykes as Gary Patterson's successor

TCU officially has its man. The school made the news official on Monday night that SMU’s Sonny Dykes will be the next head coach for the Horned Frogs.

This comes just hours after the Mustangs announced Miami offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee would be taking over at SMU.

The TCU Horned Frogs hired SMU head coach Sonny Dykes to replace long-time head coach Gary Patterson.

Dykes, 52, has led SMU to a 30-18 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.

Four Mustangs coaches — running backs coach Ra’Shaad Samples, wide receiver coach David Gru, defensive line coach Chidera Uzo-Diribe and strength and conditioning coach Kaz Kazada — are following Dykes to TCU, according to reports.

SMU is 8-4 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.

To try to hold on to Sonny Dykes, earlier this month, the Mustangs reportedly offered the fourth-year head coach a $4 million salary with a five-year extension. Also allegedly on the table: a larger pool of money for assistant coaches and plans to build a new football-only facility.