Formerly the program’s offensive coordinator and quarterback coach, Rhett Lashlee returned to the SMU Mustangs for the 2022 college football season as the team’s head coach before guiding them to the AAC Championship in just his second season.
That success has led to a contract extension following the 2023 college football campaign. What else do we know about Lashlee’s salary, contract, and net worth as the leader of one of the nation’s top Group of Five programs?
Rhett Lashlee’s Salary and Contract in 2023
As a private university, SMU is under no obligation to disclose the financial compensation agreements for their staff — including their head coach. As a result, Lashlee’s salary, contract, and net worth are unknown.
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However, we do know that following the success of the 2023 college football season, Lashlee’s contract was extended. CBS Sports reports that the SMU head coach is now tied to the program through the 2029 college football campaign.
We also know that Lashlee was the man that the Mustangs wanted to replace the departed Sonny Dykes.
“As with previous transitions, our process was thorough and competitive. Ultimately, though, our conversations kept leading us back to one man — Rhett Lashlee,” athletic director Rick Hart said of the appointment of the new SMU head coach in November 2021.
“Rhett’s ability to connect with recruits, his passion and love for his players, and his alignment with our vision and values are among the many reasons he has been selected to lead SMU Football. We will provide Rhett with the support and resources he needs to bring a championship to the Hilltop, and are thrilled to welcome Rhett back to SMU.”
In his former stint with the Mustangs, Lashlee was responsible for one of the most potent offenses in college football. The team averaged 41.8 points per game, ranking seventh in the nation. Meanwhile, SMU’s 489.8 yards per game average ranked second in the AAC and ninth nationally.
After serving as the Miami Hurricanes offensive coordinator and QBs coach for two seasons, Lashlee replaced Dykes as the Mustangs coach when the latter departed for TCU despite SMU lining up a lucrative long-term deal to keep him in Dallas.
While exact details of the former head coach’s contract are also unknown, Sports Illustrated reported that Dykes’ official annual salary was $1.3 million, but his actual earnings far surpassed that figure. Furthermore, the proposed contract extension was expected to align him with the highest-paid coaches in Group of Five — projected to be around $3.5 to $4 million.
Several reports suggest that Lashlee’s original salary came in at just under that projected extension offer for Dykes, likely around $3 million, making the SMU head coach one of the highest-paid coaches in the AAC. It is presumed that his contract extension carried some form of salary boost.
In his first two seasons at the program, Lashlee has guided SMU to a 17-8 record. He became the first Mustangs head coach to take the program to a winning season and bowl-game qualification in their first season at the helm before delivering the AAC title in his second. The SMU head coach has quickly delivered on his promise made upon taking the job.
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“I am humbled and excited to be returning to SMU to lead Dallas’ College Football Team,” Lashlee said as per the team release. “On the field, we want to build on the foundation of success we’ve established and compete for – and win – championships.”
The SMU role is Lashlee’s first as a head coach. A long-time offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach before his appointment in Dallas, he’s the only coach who has been nominated for the Broyles Award — honoring the nation’s top assistant coach — four times at four different programs.
Lashlee’s Net Worth
Without any information about Lashlee’s salary and contract length, his current net worth as the head coach of the Mustangs is unknown. Additionally, there isn’t any information about potential performance-related bonuses or non-financial rewards that are usually a staple of college football head coach contracts.