A few years ago, SMU was seeking an identity, but under Rhett Lashlee‘s guidance, they’re now among the most discussed programs in college football. The year 2024 was a breakout year: SMU finished 11-3, dominated the ACC with an 8-0 conference record, and earned a College Football Playoff bid as the No. 11 seed—a first for the program. Lashlee received the ACC Coach of the Year award and was a finalist for numerous national awards. Even following a hard loss to Penn State in the CFP, the Mustangs have appeared in more than their fair share of ‘way-too-early’ top 25 rankings for 2025, including No. 15 from ESPN in their post-spring SP+ rankings.

SMU shows its commitment to Coach Lashlee’s vision by extending his contract through 2030 and giving him a major pay raise. The coach’s ability to bring out the best in players, such as quarterback Kevin Jennings, who came of age as a player last season, has only further fueled the excitement. So, as the headlines wax and wane about SMU’s ascension and Lashlee’s coaching success, the coach is quick to steer the conversation back: it’s about his faith and family that he stays grounded.

On the June 10 Sports Spectrum show, the host asked the SMU HC how he doesnt let coaching become his only identity. Rhett came clean: “I’ve said before that coaching is what I do, it’s not who I am, but man it’s like anything else. We can get really wrapped up in what we are doing, and that can pretty quickly, without us even knowing, become our identity – more than it needs to be.” He makes it clear that in the high-pressure arena of college athletics, it’s easy to get caught up in the job. The wins feel incredible, the losses feel like the world has ended, and the pressure never quits. But Lashlee has a secret advantage: “My family helps keep that all in perspective,” he said.

Lashlee continues, “There’s nobody that I feel like I’m more called and responsible for mentoring and leading than my four kids, you know, with my wife, and so that’s where it starts, and they help me keep that perspective. You know, because you can lose a game… and when I go home, my kids can take me away from that space where the world is over right now in the short term.” Lashlee’s family-oriented approach stems from the fact that coaching is a high-stress, high-expectation profession, yet it’s not his only—or even first—job. He knows that whether they win or lose, his children are observing and learning from him. Lashlee is not unique in this thinking.

Consider South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer, who frequently speaks of how his children are his largest supporters and most critical audience. Beamer has spoken of how his family would observe practices, and his children would offer him constructive criticism after games. He mentioned that coaching is what he is passionate about, but being a father is his biggest job. In the same way, Hugh Freeze at Auburn has openly discussed how his religion and family ground him.

Rhett Lashlee continues to discuss his second weapon: His Faith. “You have to understand our identities in Christ, and that he’s the one who’s given me the ability to be a coach, given us all the ability to be here and impact our staff and our players.” That faith-based outlook also helps him find a balance. For Lashlee, coaching is more than X’s and O’s; it’s stewardship. He feels that he is called upon to use his divine gifts and opportunities for something greater than himself.

Dan Lanning at Oregon is another. Though he may be less publicly professing about his faith, Lanning has talked about the value of purpose and perspective as a coach. He commits to taking care of his players on and off the field with a sense of responsibility that recalls the notion that leadership is about more than football—it’s about serving others.

SMU Mustangs struggle with Alabama Crimson Tide

The discussion on faith, family, and leadership in college football gets crazy when you consider how the 2024 College Football Playoff played out, particularly for Rhett Lashlee and his SMU Mustangs. Selection Sunday, December 8, 2024, arrived with Alabama supporters anxiously praying for a playoff miracle. The atmosphere was charged up. Last night, everyone watched in anticipation as Clemson and SMU clashed in the ACC Championship, with the victor securing a CFP and the loser seeing their fate remain uncertain.

The actual game was an agonizing one for SMU. Clemson’s kicker, Nolan Hauser, nailed a 56-yard field goal as time ran out, stealing a 34-31 victory away from the Mustangs. The loss pained Lashlee. He later admitted, “I felt like we definitely deserved to be in, but after we came up just short about 12 hours earlier in that ACC Championship game with Clemson, I cannot say I felt great.” The math was easy: if there was one dominant team, Alabama would have slipped into the playoff.

Rhett Lashlee couldn’t help but chuckle at his new standing in Alabama folklore, quipping that he may have been more disliked in the state than following Auburn’s legendary ‘Kick Six’ against the Tide. But to Lashlee and his family, the news was “really special and pretty cool. Of course, neither Alabama nor SMU got the fairy-tale ending,” he admitted. The Mustangs were pounded by Penn State in the first round, and Michigan upset Alabama in the ReliaQuest Bowl. Nevertheless, both teams are already thinking ahead, appearing in all the preliminary 2025 top 25 rankings—Alabama at No. 9, SMU at No. 15, per ESPN.