SMU names former OC Lashlee as coach replacing Dykes

Associated PressNov 29, 2021, 2:04 PM EST

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DALLAS – SMU hired Rhett Lashlee as its new head coach Monday, bringing back its former offensive coordinator to replace Sonny Dykes.

Lashlee had been Miami’s offensive coordinator for two seasons after serving as OC for the Mustangs during Dykes’ first two seasons in 2018 and 2019.

Dykes spent the past four seasons at SMU and will be introduced as TCU’s new coach Tuesday, though there have been no formal announcements of him as Gary Pattersons’ replacement from either school.

The 38-year-old Lashlee has been a college offensive coordinator for 11 seasons, at six different schools. He was at Samford in 2011 before serving on Gus Malzahn‘s staffs at Arkansas State (2012) and Auburn (2013-16). Lashlee spent 2017 at UConn before going to SMU.

“As with previous transitions, our process was thorough and competitive. Ultimately, though, our conversations kept leading us back to one man – Rhett Lashlee,” SMU athletic director Rick Hart said. “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.”

The bowl-bound Mustangs (8-4) started this season 7-0 before losing four of their past five games. SMU averaged nearly 42 points and 489 total yards a game in 2019 with Lashlee as OC before he went to Miami.

Miami (7-5) averaged 450 yards and 35 points per game during the regular season, including 530 yards in a 47-10 win at Duke in the regular-season finale Saturday.

Alabama suspends freshman defensive back after drug arrest

Associated PressMar 20, 2023, 10:32 PM EDT

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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama freshman defensive back Tony Mitchell has been suspended from the team following his arrest on a drug charge.

Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban said Monday after the first practice of spring that Mitchell was suspended from the team “and all team activities until we gather more information about the situation and what his legal circumstance is.”

The Holmes County Sheriff’s Office arrested Mitchell and another man, Christophere Lewis, last week on a charge of possession of marijuana with the intent to sell or deliver, according to a post on the department’s Facebook page. Lewis also was charged with carrying a concealed gun without a permit.

“Everybody’s got an opportunity to make choices and decisions,” Saban said. “There’s no such thing as being in the wrong place at the wrong time. You’ve gotta be responsible for who you’re with, who you’re around and what you do, who you associate yourself with and the situations that you put yourself in. It is what it is, but there is cause and effect when you make choices and decisions that put you in bad situations.”

Mitchell, who is from Alabaster, Alabama, was a five-star prospect rated the 34th-best player and No. 3 safety in the 247Composite rankings.

Mitchell was driving the vehicle during a traffic stop. After deputies smelled marijuana, Mitchell picked up a baggie of marijuana from the passenger floorboard, according to the department’s Facebook post.

Sheriff’s deputies found “an additional significant amount of marijuana, a set of scales, a loaded handgun between the passenger seat and center console, and a large amount of cash,” according to the department’s Facebook post.

Missouri linebacker Chad Bailey suspended after arrest

Associated PressMar 20, 2023, 12:05 PM EDT

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COLUMBIA, Mo. — Missouri linebacker Chad Bailey was suspended from the team after he was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated, the team said.

The 23-year-old, who was a team captain last season, was booked at about 2:45 a.m. and released after posting $500 bond, according to online records from the Boone County Sheriff’s Office.

“We are aware of the situation involving Chad Bailey,” Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz said in a statement to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “He’s been suspended according to Department of Athletics policy. We have high expectations for all of our student-athletes, on and off the field, and we will follow all departmental and campus policies.”

Bailey was Mizzou’s third-leading tackler with 57 stops last season. He started all 11 games he played, missing two with an injury. He’ll be a sixth-year senior this fall after opting to return for his final year of eligibility, the Post-Dispatch reported.

The Missouri student-athlete handbook says any athlete who is arrested must serve a minimum one-week suspension.

Bailey was pulled over at about 1 a.m. not far from the Columbia campus for an expired license plate and lane violation, a police statement said. Bailey told the officer he had consumed alcohol and then performed poorly on a field sobriety test, the Post-Dispatch reported.