SMU rewards Rhett Lashlee with contract extension as Mustangs sit on cusp of ACC title game appearance
SMU has extended coach Rhett Lashlee’s contract amid a successful first season in the ACC, the school announced on Friday. The new deal will keep Lashlee around through the 2030 season, sources told CBS Sports’ Brandon Marcello.
The Mustangs are 9-1 with two games left in the regular season and are the only ACC team with an undefeated conference record (6-0). They landed at No. 13 in the latest College Football Playoff Rankings release.
“Lauren, Hudson, Thomas, Rowyn, Scarlet and I are all so excited to be Mustangs,” Lashlee said in a statement. “We look forward to building upon our success and making our mark on college football’s national stage. I want to thank President Turner and Rick Hart, as well as Bill Armstong and David Miller and all the trustees and SMU leadership for their belief in and commitment to me and my family. We are thrilled to be here for the long haul. Pony Up!”
SMU can clinch a spot in the ACC Championship Game with a win in either of its last two games. The Mustangs travel to Virginia in Week 13 for their first opportunity to lock up the berth.
Lashlee, who served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at SMU from 2018-19 before moving to Miami in the same capacity, returned to Dallas to lead the Mustangs in 2022. SMU extended Lashlee’s contract through the 2029 season in November 2023.
Investment paying off
Lashlee is no stranger to postseason success. He guided SMU to an AAC title in 2023, giving the Mustangs their first league championship since 1984. SMU has also secured bowl eligibility in each of its three years with Lashlee at the helm.
Needless to say, the Mustangs have been impressive under Lashlee. They’re 18-2 in their last 20 games and 17-1 in their last 18 regular season games. They’ve also started 6-0 in conference play in consecutive seasons for the first time in program history and have a chance to clinch back-to-back 10-win seasons for the first time since 1981-84.
SMU took a huge bet on itself by jumping from the AAC to the ACC. Not only is it the Mustangs’ first time competing in a high-major conference in almost 30 years — since the dissolution of the Southwest Conference — but SMU also surrendered nine years of ACC television revenue to make the jump.
With Lashlee guiding the way, the move has paid off regardless. Making the ACC Championship Game puts SMU one game away from securing an automatic bid in the 12-team College Football Playoff and a first-round bye.
Building for the future
Talent acquisition has seen a major uptick under Lashlee. The Mustangs are closing in on their first top-30 signing class in modern recruiting history.
SMU’s 2025 crop of commits currently sits at No. 29 overall, No. 4 in the ACC, in 247Sports’ Team Composite Recruiting Rankings. That includes four of the 10 highest-ranked prospects to commit to SMU since 247Sports started rating players.
The headliner is four-star offensive tackle Dramodd Odoms, the No. 83 prospect nationally and No. 19 player in the state of Texas. He is the second-highest ranked recruit to ever make a pledge to the Mustangs, behind 2021 four-star quarterback Preston Stone.
Lashlee has also secured his signal caller of the future in four-star QB prospect Ty Hawkins. The IMG Academy product is the No. 18 quarterback in 2025 and the No. 215 player in the nation.
Four of SMU’s six top commits play high school football in the state of Texas. SMU is also off to a hot start in the 2026 cycle after receiving a commitment from quarterback Cole Leinart, the son of former USC quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Matt Leinart.
