Rhett Lashlee’s proven ability to elevate programs into national contention has him on the wish lists for multiple coaching vacancies. Yet, the SMU head coach has remained laser-focused on his north star. Now in year five with the Mustangs, Lashlee is mapping the road to a national championship with unwavering conviction.

On Wednesday’s appearance on Inside Access, Lashlee, who makes $2.47 million as the Mustangs HC, was hit with questions about the chances of SMU possibly replicating Indiana’s recent success, which came out of nowhere to win a national title. His response was pretty straightforward.

“Absolutely. I mean 100%. And you’ve seen the parody in college football in the last few years. And you know, we’re gonna have one more year at a 12-team playoff, but when it goes to 16 or 24 or whatever, I think there’s even more validity to adding more access because of what you’ve seen with schools like Indiana winning it.”

Rhett Lashlee’s statement intensified his claim that SMU could be the “Next Indiana” in 2026. And then, it also highlighted how the current CFP format gives all conferences a fair shot, given that it previously favored the SEC and B1G. The 12-team format, which was implemented in 2024, guarantees bids for conference champions, ensuring spots for the ACC, B1G, Big 12, and SEC champions.

That context makes Lashlee’s optimism about a title run easier to understand. Although SMU didn’t appear in the 2025 CFP bracket, they did make it in 2024 as the No. 11 seed, traveling to face PSU in the first round. Unfortunately, SMU lost 38-10, finishing with an 11-3 record. But one standout game this past season gives them a strong case heading into the 2026 campaign.

“Yeah, the parodies there. And to your point, Indiana beat Miami by six points in the national championship game. We beat Miami by six points last year,” added the SMU head coach.

In 2025, after signing a contract extension with SMU, Rhett Lashlee’s squad faced Miami and won 26-20, while in the national championship against Indiana, the Hurricanes fell 27-21. That sparked a belief in the Mustang head coach that his team has the potential to reach the CFP and beat a team like Miami in the upcoming season.

“We just weren’t as consistent week in, week out, in some other games, early in the season, and late in the season. We needed to get that opportunity,” said Lashlee. “But again, to beat a team like Miami, who was probably two or three mistakes away from winning the national title, just continues to validate that we can do the same here, and that’s our goal. And so, yeah, I mean, we’re very confident that we’ll win a national title in our time here.”

While the coach is clear that there’s work to do to become more consistent and avoid early-season losses like those to Baylor, TCU, and Wake Forest this past year, Lashlee also acknowledges that the talent is there, with back-to-back 11-3 seasons in 2023 and 2024. More importantly, his proven track record backs up that optimism.

Since joining the Mustangs in 2022, Lashlee has guided SMU to an AAC title in 2023, the program’s first conference championship since 1984. In 2024, SMU returned to the conference title game but fell short. Still, that season saw the Mustangs earn their first-ever berth in the expanded 12-team CFP. Now, through four seasons with a 38–16 overall record, Lashlee is building a title-caliber team capable of fulfilling his dream of a national championship run.

Under the current CFP format, while programs like ASU and Boise State made appearances in 2024, SMU sees a real opportunity in 2026 with players like QB Kevin Jennings and DBs Isaiah Nwokobia and Ahmaad Moses. However, Lashlee’s loyalty to the Mustangs stands out, as he rejected SEC jobs to continue building this ACC team on the national stage.

Rhett Lashlee draws interest from several SEC programs

Rhett Lashlee’s star keeps rising, and the SEC took notice. Programs like Arkansas, his alma mater, and LSU reportedly had their eyes on him, but Lashlee’s loyalty to SMU stood out.

Rather than chasing greener pastures, he doubled down on the Mustangs, signing a massive seven-year contract extension that puts him among the top 10 highest-paid coaches in CFB. The new deal runs through 2032, adding two seasons to his previous contract and locking in his return for 2026.

“SMU is a special place in our family,” said Lashlee. “We are so excited for the opportunity to continue the process of building our program on the national stage.”

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Since taking over as head coach, Lashlee has turned the Mustangs into a contender, posting an ACC runner-up finish in 2024, while his commitment comes after leading SMU to the CFP in their first year as an ACC member. At 42, he brings a wealth of experience, having served as an offensive coordinator at SMU, Miami, Auburn, and Samford before replacing Sonny Dykes.

SMU is investing pretty heavily to ensure that it remains competitive in the ACC and the CFP race. Lashlee’s decision is signaling toward a long haul for the Mustangs. After a 9–4 overall record in 2025, we’ll see how this team makes the 2026 season count.