Sonny Dykes

Sonny Dykes is a college football head coach known for his offensive strategies and program development. Dykes serves as TCU's head football coach. Before his head coaching roles, Dykes worked as an assistant in the Pac-12, Big 12, and SEC under coaches Mike Stoops at Arizona, Mike Leach at Texas Tech, and Hal Mumme at Kentucky, experiences that influenced his pass-heavy, high-scoring offensive approach. The son of Texas Tech football coach Spike Dykes, he has a longstanding connection to the sport.

Dykes established his head coaching credentials through successful program turnarounds at the collegiate level. In his first head coaching position, he was named Western Athletic Conference Coach of the Year after leading Louisiana Tech to an 8-5 record and the program's first WAC championship since 1990. He later coached at the University of California, Berkeley, where he developed quarterback Jared Goff into the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft. Under Dykes, Cal's offense set a modern-era record for points scored and broke multiple program offensive records, including becoming the first college football team to have six players with 40 or more receptions and three 500-yard rushers in a single season. At SMU, Dykes led the Mustangs to 19 weeks in the national top 25 and three consecutive winning seasons for the first time since the mid-1980s. The 2019 Mustangs finished 10-3, their most wins since 1984, and achieved their highest national ranking since 1985.

At TCU, Dykes was named Big 12 Coach of the Year and became the first head football coach in TCU and Big 12 history to start 12-0 in his first season. He led the Horned Frogs to a 12-1 record, the team's first College Football Playoff appearance, and their first CFP win. Dykes guided TCU to a win in the CFP semifinal and an appearance in the National Championship game. He received the Paul "Bear" Bryant Coach of the Year Award, the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award, and was recognized as national coach of the year by the Associated Press, Walter Camp Football Foundation, and American Football Coaches Association. Dykes reached his 100th career win as a head coach when TCU defeated Abilene Christian 42-21.

During his first four seasons at TCU, Dykes's 36 wins are the most by a TCU head coach since Francis Schmidt. His teams posted consecutive nine-win seasons for the first time in over a decade and for just the second time in TCU's Big 12 era. The Horned Frogs' win total ranked at the top of the Big 12 during that period. Under Dykes, TCU has produced seven All-Americans, 57 All-Big 12 selections, and 13 NFL Draft picks, including a program-record eight in one year.

In addition to his coaching career, Dykes teaches a three-hour course in TCU's Neeley School of Business titled "Leadership in Action: Lessons from the Gridiron to the Boardroom." He is one of only five active FBS head coaches to teach a university course. Dykes is recognized for his insights on leadership, team-building, and organizational culture, contributing to discussions on the principles that drive success in competitive environments.