Coach Sam Hullender enters his fourth season on the Mustang staff in 2025, serving as the Assistant Quarterbacks Coach and Head Coach Analyst.
Hullender will be in his fifth year working under Head Coach Rhett Lashlee. Prior to SMU, Hullender worked with Lashlee at the University of Miami for a season (2021) as an offensive assistant.
This 2025 season will be Hullender’s third season working with the quarterbacks.
The 2024 season saw Hullender play a role in the development of Kevin Jennings, resulting in the Mustangs earning their first berth to the College Football Playoff. The redshirt sophomore’s growth helped unlock a potent Mustang offense that caused opposing teams issues all season.
With Jennings running the offense, the Mustangs were 9-2 and averaged 37.1 points per game. During his time as the starter, SMU posted a nine-game winning streak, matching 2023’s run as the second longest in program history. For his play, Jennings was First Team All-Texas by Dave Campbell’s Texas Football, All-ACC Third Team by the conference and a finalist for the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award.
SMU continued to produce at an elite level on offense in its first year competing as a member of the ACC, averaging 36.5 points per game on the year, the seventh-highest average for a season in program history. The 511 points scored in 2024 were the third most in program history.
Jennings found his groove after taking over as the starter in week 3, leading the ACC in passer efficiency rating at 171.53. He also ranked third in conference games in total offense, averaging 309.25.
In 2023, Hullender moved to the quarterback room, working with quarterback Preston Stone who garnered third-team nods during his first year as the Mustangs' starter. Stone completed 206-of-344 pass attempts for 3,197 yards with 28 touchdowns against six interceptions and was tabbed a three-time AAC Offensive Player of the Week selection. Stone ranked 10th nationally in passing touchdowns, 15th in passing efficiency (161.3), 21st in passing yards, and 23rd in passing yards per game (266.4) and total offense (282.9).
Hullender joined the Mustang coaching staff in December 2021 as an Offensive Graduate Assistant working with the tight ends.
Additionally, during the 2023 season, SMU ranked in the top-25 in 11 major categories – fifth in first down offense (312), sixth in scoring offense (40.6) and passing yards per completion (14.82), ninth in red zone offense (.929) and tackles for loss allowed (3.77), 13th in sacks allowed (1.15), 14th in total offense (465.5), 16th in team passing efficiency (156.09), 19th in passing offense (285.1), 20th in turnovers lost (13) and 24th in fumbles lost (5). The Mustangs also ranked third in the country in scoring offense in the first half, trailing just Oregon and Oklahoma. The 542 points ranked second highest in program history. The 29 rushing touchdowns were the third most in program history.
The Mustangs scored at least 55 points four times in 2023, the most in program history for a single season. The offense also finished top five in program history in first downs (1st), passing touchdowns (5th), passing yards (5th), and total yards (tied for 1st), while also making history on Dec. 2 with a 26-14 victory over No. 22 Tulane in the AAC Championship game, giving the Mustangs their first conference championship since 1984 and 12th overall as a program. It was the first outright conference title won by the school since 1982.
During the 2022 season, tight ends Ben Redding and RJ Maryland combined for over 400 yards and 10 touchdowns combined. Maryland went on to earn Freshman All-American honors, he registered 28 receptions for 296 yards and 6 touchdowns, the touchdown total was the second most in a single season for a Mustang tight end in program history.
Before SMU, Hullender spent the 2021 season working under former Offensive Coordinator Rhett Lashlee as a quarterback offensive assistant at the University of Miami. Miami finished second in the AAC Coastal standings after a 7-5 regular season and were in the top 25 for fourth down conversion percentage (10th, .714), passing offense (10th, 321.2), first down offense (14th, 293) and total offense (23rd, 448.8). Freshman quarterback Tyler Van Dyke was named the ACC Rookie of the Year, and Charleston Rambo broke the Miami single-season receiving yards and receptions record.
Hullender started his coaching career in 2019 as a student coach at the University of Texas. In 2019, he worked with Special Teams, where the Longhorns punt coverage team ranked 12th in FBS, allowing just 3.3 yards per return. Kicker Cameron Dicker converted 77.8 percent of his field goals, the best percentage for a Texas placekicker in seven seasons, to earn All-Big 12 honorable mention honors to go along with All-Big 12 first-team honors as a punter.
Prior to the 2020 season, Hullender moved to the offensive side of the ball to work with the Wide Receivers and Offensive Line. During the 2020 season, the Longhorns ranked eighth in FBS in scoring offense (42.7 ppg), 16th in passing efficiency (156.2) and 19th in total offense (475.4 ypg). Texas also finished in the top 40 in the country in passing offense (27th; 280.1 ypg) and rushing offense (37th; 195.3 ypg). The 42.7 points per game ranks second in Texas history. The Longhorns had 17 different players catch at least one pass during the 2020 season and nine with at least 10 catches. Additionally, the Longhorns had 12 different players record a touchdown catch in that season.
Hullender graduated from the University of Texas in 2021 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Applied Learning and Development. He received his Master’s Degree in Liberal Studies from SMU in December 2023.
