Fans Thought This Coach Was Next in Line for Arkansas Job

Former Razorback player and grad assistant experiences life-changing weekend

Southern Methodist Mustangs coach Rhett Lashlee (center) huddles with players during a stoppage in play in the first half against the Virginia Cavaliers at Scott Stadium . / Amber Searls-Imagn Images

Reality may have exceeded dreams the last few days for a former Arkansas Razorback walk-on and graduate assistant coach. Now, his dreams will be even bigger.

Rhett Lashlee signed a big contract extension Friday to bring financial stability to his family and reportedly remain SMU's football coach for another six seasons. On Saturday, he guided the surprising Mustangs to the ACC championship game with a 33-7 road victory at Virginia.

SMU boosters, known for their deep pockets and willingness to spend it, ponied up to keep Lashlee in the program. Since SMU is a private institution, contract details aren't public but the deal reportedly keeps him keeps him with the Mustangs through 2030.

Lashlee and the university issued the usual statement Friday with him giving thanks to SMU's administration for the extension. He did it again after beating Virginia, and praised his players. "Hate when that stuff comes out the day before a game," Lashlee said, "but that's extending our staff."

SMU is the first head coaching position for Lashlee, 41, after several stops at high-level programs as offensive coordinator. In three seasons at SMU, his teams improved each year. They were 7-6 overall and 5-3 in the American Athletic Conference the first year and 11-3, 8-0 the second.

When SMU jumped to the Atlantic Coast Conference this season, many doubted if they could be successful. The Mustangs are an impressive 10-1, 7-0 in the ACC and ranked 13th in the AP poll and College Football Playoff rankings. They'll play either Miami or Clemson for the ACC's automatic berth in the 12-team playoff.

Sky's the limit for SMU football, at least in coach Lashlee's eyes, after signing a contract extension. The Mustangs' lone loss this season came in week three against BYU, which lost its first game Saturday at Arizona State. This view of SMU's home stadium was last week against Boston College. / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

"No one's ever moved from a small conference to a power conference and gone to the championship the first year," Lashlee said. "Really proud of our guys for doing that."

A native of Springdale, Ark., Lashlee, 41, set Arkansas high school records for touchdown passes (171) and passing yards in a game (672) while leading Shiloh Christian High School to a three-year record of 40-3-2 as a starter. He took the Saints to three state championship games, winning twice.

His 171 TD tosses still ranks 14th all-time nationally and places him one spot ahead of Jayden Daniels, last season's Heisman Trophy winner and this year's Washington Commanders starter and favorite for NFL Rookie of the Year.

A three-star recruit, Lashlee walked on at Arkansas while Matt Jones was the starting quarterback. A shoulder injury ended his playing days and he graduated from the UA in 2006.

Lashlee's coaching career has largely been tied to the moves of Gus Malzahn, his coach at Shiloh Christian. When he was done playing, Lashlee helped coach quarterbacks — particularly Mitch Mustain, the nation's top recruit — at Springdale High School, when Malzahn was leading the Bulldogs to an unbeaten record and No. 1 national ranking.

Malzahn was hired as Arkansas' offensive coordinator the next season and he brought Lashlee on as a graduate assistant. Lashlee was out of coaching for two years but joined Malzahn as a grad assistant at Auburn in 2009 and was part of the Tigers' 2010 national championship team.

Auburn Tigers head coach Gus Malzahn shouts during the first quarter of the game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, Miss., on Dec. 12, 2020. Malzahn, now the coach at Central Florida, was at Auburn from 2013-20. He was Auburn's offensive coordinator in 2010 when the Tigers won the national championship. / Matt Bush-Imagn Images

In 2011, Lashlee struck out on his own when he was hired by Samford as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Then came five stops -- the first two with Malzahn as head coach -- all as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach: Arkansas State (2012), Auburn (2013), Connecticut (2017), SMU (2018) and Miami (2020).

He was hired in 2021 as SMU's head coach and has led the Mustangs program to its best record since a 10-2 mark in 1984. From 1981-84, SMU was an amazing 41-5-1 mark but the school was found guilty of violating NCAA regulations and paying players.

SMU was assessed the so-called "death penalty" which kept the team from playing for a year (the school took off an additional year before resuming competition rather than play a reduced number of games the NCAA allowed) and was reeling for decades, with only one winning record (6-5 in 1997) until 2009.

Lashlee has brought SMU's proud program back to prominence. He was being mentioned by Arkansas fans as a possible successor to Hogs coach Sam Pittman -- if and when that time occurs. Apparently, though, Lashlee won't be available for quite a while.

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• Live Blog: Arkansas Razorbacks vs. Little Rock Trojans

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