Rhett Lashlee to be named new head coach at SMU according to report

Brett McMurphy of The Action Network is reporting that Miami Hurricanes offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee will be the new head coach of the SMU Mustangs, where he was previously the offensive coordinator in 2018–2019. Lashlee will replace Sonny Dykes, who is crossing Dallas to rival TCU to become their head coach according to multiple reports.

Lashlee has long been considered one of the primary possible coordinators in college football to take over a program. He’s had success at SMU previously, as the offensive coordinator for the 2019 Mustangs team that won 10 games since the program was given the death penalty from the NCAA in the mid-1980’s.

Before serving one season at UConn in 2017 as offensive coordinator under Randy Edsall, Lashlee previously worked every season except one under Gus Malzhan, from all the way back Malzhan’s days as a high school coach in Arkansas. That included one season at Arkansas State and four at Auburn as the offensive coordinator.

With Manny Diaz very likely to be replaced at Miami after this season, especially because the Hurricanes are currently without an athletic director after another disappointing season on the gridiron, it makes sense for Lashlee to make the move back to a school with which he’s familiar.

And since his old boss in Dykes is now his rival for the Iron Skillet trophy, we’ll see who survives and prospers in the Metroplex over the next few seasons.