Former Texas Tech head coach Spike Dykes died on Monday at the age of 79. His death was confirmed by the school on Monday morning.
A legend in every sense.#TexasTech mourns the loss of head coach Spike Dykes. #WreckEm pic.twitter.com/Cflm9QpxYq
— Texas Tech Red Raiders (@TechAthletics) April 10, 2017
A West Texas mainstay, Dykes coached the Red Raiders from 1986 to 1999, compiling an 82-67-1 record and seven bowl game appearances. The 82 wins were the most in program history until Mike Leach broke the record during his time in Lubbock.
Prior to his time at Texas Tech, Dykes was a longtime high school head coach at Coahoma, Belton, Big Spring, Alice and Midland Lee. His best season in the high school ranks came when Dykes as at Midland Lee, taking the Rebels to the 1983 Class 5A State Championship game. Following that season, he was hired by Texas Tech to become their new defensive coordinator and was promoted to head coach three years later.
“Red Raider Nation mourns the loss of legendary head coach Spike Dykes,” Texas Tech athletic Kirby Hocutt said in a statement. “Anyone who met Spike quickly learned how much he loved West Texas and most importantly, Texas Tech. The legacy he left at Texas Tech will be remembered forever.”
The current Red Raiders head coach, Kliff Kingsbury, was recruited by Dykes and started in his final game.
“Words cannot describe what Coach Dykes meant to West Texas, Texas Tech University, this program and me, personally,” Kingsbury said in a statement. “He was a great coach and an even better person. He will forever be remembered as one of the all-time greatest Red Raiders.”
Dykes is the father of current TCU offensive analyst Sonny Dykes, who most recently served as the head coach at Cal. Rick Dykes, his other son, was an offensive coordinator at Texas Tech on his father’s staff.
Per Texas Tech athletics, memorial services will be held on Thursday in Lubbock and Friday in Horseshoe Bay near Austin.
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