SMU Athletics

J.R. Sandlin enters his second year with the SMU Mustangs as the Assistant Athletic Director and General Manager for SMU Football. In his first season, the Mustangs posted a historic 2024 campaign, finishing 11-3 overall and 8-0 record in conference play while advancing to the ACC championship game. SMU earned its first-ever berth in the College Football Playoff as the No. 11 seed and signed the highest-ranked recruiting class in program history.
 
Sandlin brings 15 years of experience in college football and has been part of two national championships, seven conference championships, 13 postseason appearances, and 11 top-10 nationally ranked recruiting classes over the course of his career.
 
Before joining SMU, Sandlin spent two seasons at the University of Oklahoma as the Director of Player Personnel and Recruiting. In that role, he oversaw all aspects of roster management, recruiting operations, and player evaluation. During his time in Norman, he played a central role in building the Sooners’ roster and supporting head coach Brent Venables’ first two seasons. Under his direction, Oklahoma signed back-to-back consensus top-10 recruiting classes, recognized by multiple national outlets.
 
Before his time at Oklahoma, Sandlin spent eight seasons at Jacksonville State University, serving as the Gamecocks' Tight Ends coach while also holding leadership roles, including Senior Executive Head Coach, Recruiting Coordinator, and NFL Liaison. During his eight years coaching at JSU, the program won six Ohio Valley Conference championships, made seven postseason appearances, and advanced to the FCS National Championship Game in 2015. Throughout his tenure, Sandlin developed multiple All-Conference and All-American tight ends and played a key role in the Gamecocks’ recruiting, player development, and NFL relations efforts.
 
Earlier in his career, Sandlin worked in recruiting departments at the University of Alabama, the University of Tennessee, and the University of Notre Dame. While at Alabama, he was part of two national championship teams in 2011 and 2012 and helped support the program’s top-ranked recruiting classes during those years.
 
Sandlin began his career in coaching and football operations at the high school level, serving in various roles, including offensive coordinator, tight ends coach, director of player personnel, and football administrator.
 
A former student-athlete, Sandlin played tight end at the University of Central Florida, where he was a member of the 2005 Conference USA Championship team. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Sports and Fitness from UCF in 2009 and a master’s degree in Sport Management from the University of Alabama in 2012.