Tyler Foster is entering his third season with the Mustangs and currently serves as the Assistant Running Backs Coach.
Foster worked under Kyle Cooper with the running backs in his first year on the Hilltop in 2024. SMU’s running backs played a major part in lifting the program to its first-ever College Football Playoff appearance.
Transfer Brashard Smith flourished in his new role in the backfield, the first time playing the position since Pop Warner. In 2024, Smith recorded 1,977 all-purpose yards, the most in a single season in SMU history. He also became the 12th Mustang to eclipse the 1,000-yard rushing mark and finished fourth in the single-season record books with 1,332. The senior earned many accolades during and following his breakout season, including earning All-America status by four major publications (Associated Press, AFCA, Sporting News, Phil Steele) while also being named to the All-ACC First Team by the conference. The elusive back was also named First Team All-Texas by Dave Campbell’s Texas Football publication.
Smith was all over the top 25 in major FBS statistics, finishing ranked eighth in the country in all-purpose yards with 141.2 per game, 12th in total touchdowns (18) 20th in total points scored (112), and 25th in rushing yards per game (95.1). The 112 points scored were the fifth most in program history. The Miami native notched six games with at least 100 yards on the ground and had over 100 all-purpose yards in eight contests in the season. As a team, the Mustangs rushed for 29 touchdowns on the year, which ranked tied for third most in school history.
Prior to SMU, Foster spent a season as the Associate Director of Player Personnel at Baylor and served as a recruiting assistant at Oklahoma State.
He also was the run-game coordinator at Kimball High School in Dallas following a stint as a graduate assistant at Prairie View A&M.
The Dallas native played at Kilgore College and UTSA, where he received a master's degree in 2017.
