SMU signs DC Scott Symons to multi-year extension, keeps Broyles Award semifinalist
SMU defensive coordinator Scott Symons is a Broyles Award semifinalist this year, and now has a new multi-year contract extension, sources confirm to On3. Pete Thamel first reported.
SMU’s defense ranks among the nation’s best in total defense, in turnovers gained, in defensive touchdowns, in rush defense, among other impressive statistics. It’s a defense that’s picked right up where Scott Symons’ bunch left off with SMU’s AAC Championship team.
The Mustangs are in the College Football Playoff and face Penn State next week in State College, Pa., looking to bounce back after a 34-31 defeat to Clemson. The Mustangs went unbeaten in ACC play this year in the regular season.
Symons was highly sought after once again with the success he’s seen. Head coach Rhett Lashlee reached an agreement on an extension last month and SMU wanted to keep Symons in charge of the defense in Dallas.
Symons, a Hurst, Texas native, has seen SMU ascend to a home crowd at Ford Stadium that’s sold out three straight games. It’s the type of atmosphere that not only helps the players, but the coaches as well.
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“It’s been really cool for me being from here, growing up here,” Scott Symons said. “When I was in high school, middle school, where this program was, it just wasn’t even a game you’d go see back in the day, honestly. I graduated 2004, so if you think about those years and to when we got here, to then we started winning, but it still wasn’t where we wanted to now. Our home field advantage is real, and in particular on defense. They had to burn a timeout on one where it was really loud. I think that affects the quarterback and I think our guys feed off of that.
“I can’t say it enough, coming early, showing up, making sure that stadium is full when the game is kicked off. I think the only last challenge is staying all the way to the end if we’re whooping them, because our guys would love to see them, but it’s been really awesome to have a real game day atmosphere.”
Details of Symons’ deal weren’t disclosed, but he’s now paid among the nation’s best defensive coordinators, sources say.
