AWARDS & ACCOLADES
2024 Graphite Award Winner
2024 Broyles Award Semi-Finalist
2022 Dave Campbell's Texas Football 40 Under 40 List
BIO
Scott Symons enters his fourth season on the Hilltop in 2025, continuing his role as the defensive coordinator while also coaching the safeties.
Symons was hired as SMU's Defensive Coordinator in December 2021 after spending three seasons as the defensive coordinator at Liberty, while also working with safeties and linebackers.
Symons’ defense helped the Mustangs reach new heights in 2024, advancing to the program’s first CFP berth along with an undefeated mark in the first season in the ACC.
SMU became the first team to go 8-0 in conference play after moving to a Power 4/5 conference from a Group of Five conference. The 2024 season also marked the first time the Mustangs went undefeated and untied in conference play in back-to-back seasons.
The Mustangs were elite defensively once again in 2024. For the second straight season, they finished in the top five in defensive touchdowns with four. The mark was also the best in the ACC. SMU posted the second-best rushing defense in program history, allowing just 100.2 yards per game on the ground. The mark was good for seventh best in the FBS and tops in the conference.
Under Symons, the Mustang defense got to the quarterback at a high clip again in 2024, earning 43 sacks, the third most in program history.
Symons’ defense was elite in all three facets during the historic season, ranking in the top 25 in the FBS in multiple different categories including: defensive touchdowns (5th, 4), rushing defense (7th, 100.2), team sacks (10th, 3.07), passes intercepted (14th, 16), fourth down conversion pct. defense (17th, .415), tackles for loss (17th, 7.1), third down conversion pct. defense (19th, .330) and red zone defense (25th, .767).
Thanks to the success during the season, Symons was named a semifinalist for the prestigious Broyles Award.
Jared Harrison-Hunte and Isaiah Nwokobia earned First Team All-ACC accolades, and Kobe Wilson picked up Second Team accolades. Six Mustangs on the defensive side of the ball picked up Honorable Mention All-ACC, with Elijah Roberts, Kori Roberson Jr., Ahmad Walker, Brandon Crossley, Ahmaad Moses and Jonathan McGill earning the nod.
Wilson and Nwokobia added to the list of accolades after picking up All-America Honorable Mention accolades by Phil Steele. Roberts, Harrison-Hunte and Nwokobia also earned First Team All-Texas honors by DCTF, while Wilson landed on the Second Team All-Texas.
The second-year coach’s defense was among the nation’s elite in 2023, helping the Mustangs roll to an 11-3 mark, resulting in the first conference championship in program history since 1984, while posting an undefeated record in conference play (8-0).
SMU’s 11 wins and nine-game winning streak in 2023 were the most since the 1982 National Championship team. The Mustangs also finished out the year ranked 22nd in the AP Top 25 Poll, the first time appearing in the final poll since 1984.
Defensively, the Mustangs were one of the elite teams in the country. The 47 sacks rank second in program history for a single year. SMU took it to the conference opposition this past season, posting an average margin of victory of 28.9 points (45.9-17.0) in conference games on the year, the largest margin for any FBS team in conference play in 2023. SMU also finished first in all of FBS in defensive touchdowns with five. The Mustangs’ two shutouts during the regular season were the most by the team since 2012.
Symons’ defense dominated its opposition on all three levels, ranking in the top 25 in the FBS in several categories including: defensive touchdowns (1st, 5), sacks (3rd, 47), third down defense (4th, .281), team passing efficiency defense (9th, 115.28), scoring defense (11th, 17.8), total defense (12th, 304.1), passing yards allowed (13th, 182.2), TFLs per game (16th, 7.1), blocked kicks (21st, 2) and red zone defense (25th, .778).
The success of the defense saw the selection of seven SMU players earning All-AAC honors and five making Dave Campbell’s Texas Football All-Texas Teams.
Under Symons, safety Isaiah Nwokobia was named MVP of the AAC Championship, first defensive player to win the award. He also was named the Best Defensive Back in the state of Texas by Dave Campbell’s Texas Football.
Elijah Roberts enjoyed a career year in 2023 in Symons’ defense, registering 10.0 sacks and being named to the Action Network All-America First Team.
Elijah Chatman (New York Giants), DeVere Levelston (Seattle Seahawks), Jordan Miller (Denver Broncos) and Charles Woods (Los Angeles Rams) each signed with NFL teams in the spring following the 2024 NFL Draft.
Symons completed his first year as Defensive Coordinator with the Mustangs in 2022. SMU went 7-5 in the regular season, and faced BYU in the New Mexico Bowl. The Mustangs made 964 total tackles across their 13 games, including 28.5 sacks and 76.0 tackles for loss. SMU picked off 10 passes in the 2022 season, as well as forcing 12 fumbles, eight of which were recovered by the Mustangs. Symons’ defense held North Texas to a season-low 10 points in the season opener on September 3.
Symons helped mentor All-American Athletic Conference second-team selection Elijah Chatman, who was also a member of the Bronko Nagurski, Outland Trophy and Rotary Lombardi Award Watch Lists, Chatman finished the regular season with 37 tackles, including four for loss and three sacks. He added one fumble recovery for a touchdown and a blocked PAT.
Prior to the 2022 season, Symons was named to Dave Campbell's Texas Football 40 Under 40 List.
Liberty closed out the 2021 season with a win in the Lending Tree Bowl and finished in the top 20 in passing yards allowed (9th, 180.3), red zone defense (10th, .725), total defense (15th, 320.2) and tackles for loss (16th, 7.1), while also ranking 26th in sacks (2.85) and 27th in scoring defense (21.5).
In 2020, Symons helped the Flames to a 10-1 season and a No. 17 final ranking in the AP Poll, their highest in program history. He was named to the Broyles Award Watch List and led the defense to a top-20 ranking in total defense (No. 11, 317.7). Liberty also ranked No. 12 in passing yards allowed (184.0) and No. 22 in scoring defense (20.5). The 2019 season saw Liberty finish 28th nationally in sacks (2.69/game) and 31st in interceptions (12).
During his time with the Flames, Symons mentored NFL free agent signees Solomon Ajayi, Elijah Benton, Jessie Lemonier and Bejour Wilson. Liberty also won back-to-back FBC Mortgage Cure Bowl titles in 2019 and 2020.
He spent the 2018 season as inside linebackers coach at Memphis, where he helped the Tigers to an 8-6 record and appearances in the American Athletic Conference Championship game and the Birmingham Bowl.
From 2014-17, Symons served as defensive coordinator and safeties coach at West Georgia, where he helped the Wolves to three NCAA Division II playoff appearances, as well as back-to-back 12-win seasons, two NCAA Division II Super Region 2 titles and a Gulf South Conference Championship. Two players were drafted during his time at West Georgia in Alex Armah and Dylan Donhue, while Tyrell Adams and Marcus Sayles signed as free agents.
Symons spent the 2013 season at Arkansas Tech as Defensive Coordinator after serving in a variety of roles at Harding from 2008-11.
Lashlee and Symons spent the 2012 season together at Arkansas State, where Symons was a defensive quality control analyst.
Symons earned his bachelor's degree in history from Lindenwood in 2008 and went on to earn a master's in kinesiology from Harding in 2010. Originally from Hurst, Texas, he and wife Kristen have four children – Peyton, Hudson, Rhett and Logan.
