Rhett Lashlee has to be the happiest man in Texas this weekend. The 5-3 SMU Mustangs pulled off a huge upset against the No. 10 Miami Hurricanes in a thrilling 26–20 overtime game. The victory was extra sweet because Lashlee used to be the offensive coordinator at Miami, making this a revenge game of sorts. On top of that, SMU had a bunch of former Miami players on their roster, including a standout wide receiver, which just added to the whole storyline. What makes this even more special is that the man signed a two-year contract extension just hours before pulling the upset. It feels like the SMU board knew what they were doing.

On November 1st, right after winning the game, Rhett Lashlee went straight to his family and AD Damon Evans to celebrate the upset, then pulled up to the presser and said why he chose SMU and what it meant for him: “SMU is a destination job. And, you know, SMU chose us first, and so that matters to us. It’s sort of one be and, you know, I’m gonna here in a month, start talking to these kids.”

He explained that SMU believed in him and his staff first, and that loyalty means a lot to him. As he prepares to talk to his players and recruits, he wants to set an example by showing the same commitment he asks of them. If he expects players like Kevin Jennings and others to stay and believe in the program’s vision, he and his staff have to do the same.

Lashlee also said that while some coaches may get other opportunities, most of his staff are happy and want to stay at SMU to keep building something great. He’s proud of the Top 25 recruiting class they’ve brought in and wants everyone —coaches, players, and recruits —to buy into the shared goal of turning SMU back into a national-championship-level program.

He doubled down and thanked the SMU board: “And so, yeah, we’re humbled that Jay Hartzell and Damon Evans and our board have the confidence in us to want us and our staff to continue what we’re building, and excited that that’s out there and we can continue to go to work.” 

Just hours before their upset against the top 10 team, coach Rhett Lashlee got a big reward: a two-year contract extension. This new deal keeps him with the Mustangs all the way through the 2032 season. It’s a huge vote of confidence from SMU, especially since it came amid rumors that bigger schools, like his alma mater, Arkansas, were interested in him.

Although the university didn’t say exactly how much money he’d be getting, word on the street is his new salary puts him among the highest-paid coaches in college football. According to some, he’s getting paid the top 10 head coach money.

The year 4 coach took the Mustangs to whole new levels over the last few years. Impressive 34-15 record and led the team through a successful move to the ACC. His best season was last year; he led the Mustangs to an 11-3 record and helped them earn a spot in the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff. No wonder they paid to keep him locked down.

On-field Heroics

The game was an intense back-and-forth dog-fight that went right down to the wire. With the score tied late in the game, SMU’s defense stepped up in overtime when Ahmaad Moses intercepted a pass from Miami quarterback Carson Beck, who had thrown for 274 yards.

SMU then cashed in on that turnover and took over control of the game, with running back T.J. Harden scoring the game-winning touchdown on a 1-yard run, his fifth rushing touchdown of the season. Also, needs to give flowers to Kevin Jennings, the man who battled through an ankle injury to throw for 365 yards.

Moreover, this win was especially impressive because SMU’s offense had a tough time running the ball, gaining only 25 yards on 23 carries. Despite that, the Mustangs pulled off their first home win over a top-10 team since 1974, and fans rushed the field to celebrate (fined 50K for it). It was a historic and emotional night for both the team and Coach Lashlee. So it was a perfect ending to an already great day for him.