No. 13 SMU head coach Rhett Lashlee agrees to contract extension with ACC title within reach

LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY – OCTOBER 5: Head coach Rhett Lashlee of the Southern Methodist Mustangs is seen after the game against the Louisville Cardinals at Cardinal Stadium on October 5, 2024 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) — SMU has won 18 of the past 20 games while Rhett Lashlee was head coach. He signed a contract extension with the program. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)

SMU and head coach Rhett Lashlee have reached an agreement on a contract extension. The No. 13 Mustangs are on the cusp of an ACC Championship and a College Football Playoff bid with a 6-0 conference record and a 9-1 overall mark.

The 41-year-old Lashlee is in his third season in Dallas, taking over for Sonny Dykes after two seasons as the offensive coordinator at Miami. Before that, he spent a season at UConn as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach before moving to SMU to coach the same roles for Dykes.

For most of his career as an assistant, Lashlee worked under Gus Malzahn, running his offense and coaching QBs at Arkansas State and Auburn. He played three seasons as quarterback at Arkansas before moving into coaching.

Terms of the contract extension were not disclosed as SMU is a private school. However, this is the second extension Lashlee has signed with the program, the first of which was in December 2023. His success will likely draw interest from other schools, but the new contract will likely address that status.

“Rhett was the clear choice when we conducted our 2021 head coaching search, and everything he and his staff have accomplished only further validates our decision,” SMU athletics director Rick Hart said in a statement. “He has acted in line with our values and represents SMU with class and integrity.

“As we go through a time of significant change in college athletics and the college athletics model, Rhett has been an invaluable partner and leader,” he added. “We are excited that Rhett, Lauren and his family will continue this journey with us and look forward to building champions and competing for championships for years to come.”

At SMU, Lashlee has compiled a 27-10 record, bowling for the Mustangs in each of his first two seasons. SMU went 11-2 and won the American Athletic Conference last season, the conference’s last before moving to the ACC.

Lashlee’s teams have won 18 of their past 20 games. The Mustangs’ only loss this season was to No. 12 BYU in Week 2. Their remaining regular-season games are at Virginia and against Cal. An ACC championship game would likely be against Miami or Clemson.