FORT WORTH, TX – For the first time in over 20 years, a new head football coach takes the podium at Amon G. Carter Stadium.
Sonny Dykes was introduced to the TCU community as the newest head coach of TCU Football in a press conference Tuesday.
“This is a fantastic place and it has been a long process to get here,” said Dykes who spent a year at TCU in 2017 as an offensive analyst.
The former SMU head coach seemed prepared to tackle the new program as he told his players Monday the standard for the upcoming season.
“Our goal from the very beginning is to play to win championships,” said Dykes. “That’s our standard.” In order to do so, talent acquisition, player development and building a culture are the key steps, according to Dykes.
Talent acquisition is about surrounding yourself with the best people you can, said Dykes.
“At the end of the day, a big part of having success is acquiring talent,” said Dykes. “And you have the best high school football players in the United States in your backyard. It doesn’t get better than that.”
The new head coach put an emphasis on player development as he paid tribute to the program’s strength and conditioning coaches that he brought from the other side of the metroplex.
“We want our teams to play hard consistently. When our team takes the field, we’re going to play hard,” said Dykes. “Our guys won’t give up no matter what happens.”
According to Dykes, building a culture is most important in achieving his goal as players come and go, but culture is consistent. He said he wants to teach his players that the team is bigger than the individual and to enjoy the experience.
“One of the most special things that you can do in your life is to be around teammates that make sacrifices for each other,” said Dykes. “So, I want those guys to have a great experience here and play championship-winning football.”
Like Gary Patterson, Dykes said his intent is to make sure the players succeed in college and the years after.
“This is the current players program,” said Dykes. “The sooner they take control of the program and take ownership in it, the quicker we’ll be successful.”
