DALLAS (SMU) – Head Coach Sonny Dykes has announced the hiring of A.J. Ricker as the Mustangs' offensive line coach. Ricker comes to the Hilltop after serving in the same capacity at Kansas in 2018.
 
Dykes has also announced that Jamal Powell will continue to serve on the Mustang staff, moving to an offensive analyst position.
 
Ricker served in an offensive analyst capacity at Oklahoma State in 2017 and Houston in 2016. While at OSU, the Cowboys posted the nation's top passing offense with 389.2 yards per game, and ranked second nationally in total offense (568.9). In 2016, Houston ranked 17th in passing offense (296.3) and 26th in scoring offense (35.6).
 
He spent two seasons (2014-15) coaching the offensive line at his alma mater, Missouri, helping the Tigers to an SEC Eastern Division Title in 2014. Mizzou registered 5,138 yards of total offense that season, including 2,648 passing yards and 2,490 on the ground.
 
While at Mizzou, Ricker mentored 2015 NFL Draft pick Mitch Morse, who was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the second round. Morse has started all 49 games played in four seasons with the Chiefs. He also guided Even Boehm to a fourth-round selection by the Arizona Cardinals in 2016.
 
Prior to his time at Mizzou, Ricker served as a graduate assistant at Western Michigan during the 2006 and 2007 seasons, before going on to coach in a full-time assistant role with the offensive line in 2008.
 
He served in the same capacity at St. Joseph's College (Ind.) in 2009 and was promoted to head coach in 2010. Ricker then returned to Western Michigan (2011-12) to serve as the offensive line coach and run game coordinator. In 2013, he was the offensive line coach at Illinois.
 
Ricker was an all-conference center at Missouri from 2000-03, and served as a team captain for two seasons. He started a then-program record 47 consecutive games and was part of Mizzou's first bowl-eligible team since 1998.
 
He earned a degree in agriculture in 2004 and went on to sign a free agent contract with the Chicago Bears before being allocated to the Rhein Fire of NFL Europe in 2005. Ricker retired from playing in 2007 after being a member of the Tampa Bay Storm in the Arena League since 2006.
 
He and his wife, Lauren, have one son, Andrew.
   
Coaching History
2006-07: Western Michigan (Graduate Assistant)
2008: Western Michigan (Assistant Coach – Offense)
2009: St. Joseph's College (Offensive Line)
2010: St. Joseph's College (Head Coach)
2011-12: Western Michigan (Offensive Line)
2013: Illinois (Offensive Line)
2014-15: Missouri (Offensive Line)
2016: Houston (Offensive Analyst)
2017: Oklahoma State (Offensive Analyst)
2018: Kansas (Offensive Line)
2019-: SMU (Offensive Line)