DALLAS (SMU) – Head Coach Rhett Lashlee announced additional staff elevations on Wednesday.

Casey Horny and Justin March received promotions on the special teams front, with Horny being named the Special Teams Coordinator and March the Assistant Special Teams Coordinator.

"We are excited to have Casey leading our special teams units," Lashlee said. "Casey has over two decades of big-time college experience and has been instrumental in assisting Coach Cooper improve our special teams units each of the past three seasons.

"Now with him leading our unit, alongside Justin March, who has years of special teams experience in the NFL, I believe our special teams units are poised to take the next step." 

For Horny, he's spent the past several seasons assisting with the unit, playing an instrumental role in the unit's development.

In 2025, redshirt freshman kicker Sam Keltner enjoyed a breakout campaign, going 36-for-38 in PATs and making 14 field goals. The Texas native nabbed ACC Specialist of the Week honors after playing a critical role in the Mustangs' 35-24 victory over Clemson on Oct. 18.

Punter Wade McSparron also garnered weekly honors in 2025, earning a spot on the Ray Guy Award's "Ray's 8" list after his collegiate debut in the 42-13 win over East Texas A&M. McSparron notched 55 punts for 2,337 yards on the season, tying for second in the ACC with five touchbacks. Junior Yamir Knight made an impact on special teams in his debut season for the Mustangs as a returner, ranking 24th in FBS for return yards per punt (9.9).

The special teams units were a strong suit for the Mustangs during their historic campaign in 2024. SMU finished in the top 25 nationally in punt returns (13th), kickoff returns (15th) and kickoff return defense (22nd). The Mustangs also finished ranked in the top 20 (19th) in the FEI Special Teams Ratings by BC Toys.

Leading the way in 2024 was Collin Rogers, who earned numerous All-America accolades from various publications and made his way to the top of the Mustangs record book for points scored with 356. Rogers connected on seven field goals of 50-or-more yards, one shy of the NCAA record for a single season.

March brings a wealth of knowledge and experience after enjoying a seven-year career in the NFL from 2015-22 as a linebacker who also played special teams for several teams, including four seasons with the Dallas Cowboys (2017-20). In 2024, he shifted his focus to coaching, earning the Nunn-Wooten Scouting Fellowship with the San Francisco 49ers. The NFL created the fellowship in January 2015, which exposed interested and qualified candidates to a career in professional scouting.

Following his time with the 49ers, March received a Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship position with the Tennessee Titans, who he played for in 2021, that lasted from June to August of 2025.

While there, March got to develop under special teams coordinator John Fassel, who was with the Cowboys when March played there and was the special teams captain at the time.

The former NFL veteran joined the Mustangs right after and spent last year assisting with the special teams units in his first season on the Hilltop.