SMU Football: Sonny Dykes not a popular hire among current players

SMU football looked to have started a turn towards a bright future when head coach Chad Morris decided to bolt for the same position at Arkansas.

Now, the Mustangs will look to another well-known offensive guru to keep them headed in the right direction.

According to multiple reports, SMU will hire Sonny Dykes as head coach, with an announcement scheduled for Tuesday with university President Gerald Turner and athletic director Rick Hart.

The 48-year-old Texas native had spent the past season as an offensive analyst for TCU, helping the Horned Frogs average over 33 points and 400 yards of total offense per game.

Dykes, a graduate of Texas Tech who played baseball for the Red Raiders, started out his coaching career in 1994 at the high school level in Texas. He moved to Navarro junior college before landing as a graduate assistant/tight ends coach with Kentucky in 1997.

In 2000, he was hired by Texas Tech to lead the wide receivers, taking on co-offensive coordinator duties from 2005-08. Arizona brought Dykes in for three seasons to be the offensive coordinator before he was hired in 2010 by Louisiana Tech.

Following a 5-7 season, Louisiana Tech went 8-5 and won the Western Athletic Conference, playing in the Poinsettia Bowl. They followed that up with a 9-3 record and Dykes was hired by California to turn the Bears into a contender in the Pac-12 Conference.

California went 1-11 in his first season, followed by a 5-7 mark in 2014. They finished 8-5 in 2015 and won the Armed Forces Bowl, but stumbled to 5-7 in 2016 and Dykes was relieved of his duties.

Overall, Dykes is 41-45 with a 1-1 record in bowls.

Dykes is the son of former Texas Tech head coach Spike Dykes and a disciple of the Hal Mumme and Mike Leach systems. He coached current NFL star quarterback Jared Goff for three seasons at California.

Despite his strong offensive background, the decision hasn’t been one that everyone around the Mustang program is embracing. That includes current players, who want interim coach Jeff Traylor promoted to the top position.

SMU is set to meet Louisiana Tech in the Frisco Bowl later this month after going 7-5. They are expected to return quarterback Ben Hicks, as the sophomore threw for 3,442 yards and 32 touchdowns.

Junior wide receiver Courtland Sutton caught 62 passes for 1,017 yards and 12 scores, but is expected to be a top draft pick. Sophomore Trey Quinn, a transfer from LSU, has 106 receptions for 1,191 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Junior Xavier Jones, one of those players who posted on Twitter against the hiring, ran for 1,089 yards and scored nine touchdowns this year.

Next: 2018 NFL Mock Draft: Complete first round after Week 14

UPDATE: According to a report, Dykes will be coaching SMU in the Frisco Bowl after Traylor accepted a position on the Arkansas staff under Morris.