Why It's in TCU's Best Interest To Keep Sonny Dykes

Despite the external noise, the Horned Frogs must hold onto their head coach.

Oct 18, 2025; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; TCU Horned Frogs head coach Sonny Dykes on the sidelines against the Baylor Bears during the second half of a game at Amon G. Carter Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

Head coach Sonny Dykes has come under fire for the underwhelming performances by TCU Football this season. After suffering back-to-back losses, the consensus among the Horned Frog faithful is to move on from their head coach. However, if TCU does so, it would largely be impulsive.

With the current landscape of college football, it is in TCU’s best interest to keep Dykes going into next season for various reasons.

The Buyout:

Again, firing a coach is never as simple as it seems. Over the last few years, the sport has witnessed some absurd contract buyouts. Take former Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher, who was paid $76.8 million after being fired in 2023, or Brian Kelly, who is currently owed $53.8 million from LSU after being relieved of his duties in October. Penn State’s James Franklin will earn approximately $49 million after.

With TCU being a private institution, information regarding salaries and buyouts is not readily available to the public. Dykes was originally hired in November of 2021, before receiving a contract extension the following year. Ahead of the Horned Frogs’ trip to the College Football Playoff, both parties agreed on an extension through 2028, which would see Dykes get a pay raise.

Again, the value is not fully enclosed as TCU is a private institution, but does the school and program want to take a financial hit in the midst of this season? Does the financial hit outweigh where fans and donors think the program is headed? Those are all crucial questions to answer before making such a decision.

It’s a Head Coaching Carousel in College Football:

If TCU were to fire Sonny Dykes, I’m not exactly sure that anyone knows who would take over. Given the several head coaching jobs that are open right now, a job in Fort Worth does not have much to offer. The nine Power 4 schools that are searching for their next head coach include LSU, Penn State, Florida, Auburn, Oklahoma State, Arkansas, Virginia Tech, Stanford, and UCLA.

That doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface with other schools, such as Wisconsin, Kentucky, and Florida State, potentially looking to change the direction of their programs after the season.

Even if TCU were to move on from Dykes at the end of the season, they would have to put together quite the package to convince a head coach to not just take a job with the Horned Frogs, but potentially more difficult, to say no to one of the several enticing aforementioned programs.

Sonny Dykes Has, Statistically, Been One of the Best Coaches in Program History at This Point:

Despite all the negatives surrounding Dykes and his coaching staff, he ranks third in overall record among TCU head coaches through their first 51 games in charge. Here are the numbers:

Francis Schmidt: 42-5-4 (.863)
Dutch Meyer: 36-11-4 (.745)
Sonny Dykes: 34-17 (.666)
Madison Bell: 31-15-5 (.657)
Gary Patterson: 33-18 (.647)
Abe Martin: 28-22-1 (.559)
Pat Sullivan: 21-29-1 (.422)
Jim Wacker: 18-31-2 (.373)
F. A Dry: 9-40-2 (.196)

I’m not saying that Frog fans should settle and be pleased with where this program is at. Rather, it is important to take a look at the situation from various angles. It is important to audit every outcome and potential reason why this decision should or should not be made.

For various reasons, TCU needs to keep Sonny Dykes going into next year. With several job openings at enticing schools with larger budgets, I’m just not sure that TCU would find a replacement that could do more with this program than Dykes has been able to achieve at this moment.

What's Next for the Horned Frogs?

TCU (6-4, 3-4, Big 12) will turn its focus to the Houston Cougars (8-2, 5-2 Big 12) for a road matchup on Saturday, Nov. 22, from John O'Quinn Field at TDECU Stadium. Kickoff is set for 3:00 p.m. CT and will be televised on FOX.