DALLAS (SMU/FWAA) – SMU Head Coach Rhett Lashlee was named Super 11 Coach of the Year presented annually by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) on Thursday.

Lashlee is the eighth head coach to win this award and it comes during a season when the Mustangs posted another excellent season and won the Holiday Bowl, its first bowl win since 2012.

His 38 victories are the most wins for a head coach in the first four years in program history.

One ACC beat writer said of the outspoken Lashlee: "I would vote for SMU, quite frankly. They bend over backward to make folks available and Rhett Lashlee is a dream to deal with, in my estimation." Besides a coach being available, player access, often under the control of the coach, is key for a coach getting this award.

Previous recipients of the Super 11 individual coach award since its inception in the 2018 season have been Herm Edwards (Arizona State), Chris Klieman (Kansas State), Tom Allen (Indiana), Jeff Hafley (Boston College), Sonny Dykes (TCU), Mike Norvell (Florida State) and Ryan Day (Ohio State).

This is the second time SMU has been recognized by the FWAA, having earned the Super 11 Award as one of the best-performing College Sports Communicators departments in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision in 2013.

FWAA members provided input during the season when press boxes were judged on how well they were run and maintained in terms of neutrality, pool reporters, noise level and accessibility to the press box that could affect a media person's ability to do his or her job.

In January of 2009, the FWAA released the first Super 11 Awards – a concept supported by the College Sports Communicators (formerly CoSIDA). The FWAA has now awarded at least one Super 11 Award to 83 different FBS programs.

Founded in 1941, the Football Writers Association of America consists of journalists, broadcasters, publicists, photographers and key executives in all areas of college football. The FWAA works to govern media access and game-day operations while presenting awards and honors, including an annual FWAA All-America Team. For more information about the FWAA and its program and initiatives, contact Executive Director Steve Richardson at 214-870-6516 or tiger@fwaa.com.

2025 FWAA Super 11 Honorees
(with all-time award count in parenthesis)
Clemson (13)
Iowa (4)
Kansas (1)
Navy (9)
Nebraska (12)
Ohio State (2)
San Jose State (2)
South Carolina (4)
Tennessee (4)
Texas Tech (3)
West Virginia (4)

2025 Super 11 Coach of the Year
Rhett Lashlee, SMU