Adam RittenbergFeb 13, 2026, 10:33 AM ET
CloseCollege football reporter; joined ESPN in 2008. Graduate of Northwestern University.
Multiple Authors
SMU defensive coordinator Scott Symons is leaving the school for a position with the Dallas Cowboys, he announced on Friday.
Symons will be the Cowboys’ inside linebackers coach.
SMU announced Maurice Crum Jr. and Rickey Hunley Jr. will serve as co-defensive coordinators, with Crum taking over the defensive play-calling duties.
Symons has spent the past four seasons leading SMU’s defense and agreed to a contract extension in December 2024 after helping the Mustangs reach the College Football Playoff. In 2024, he was a semifinalist for the Broyles Award, which goes to college football’s top assistant, and was nominated for the honor in each of the past three years. That fall, SMU finished seventh nationally in defending the run and 10th in sacks.
Editor’s Picks
1 Related
Before SMU, Symons served as defensive coordinator at Liberty, after stops at Memphis and West Georgia. He is set to join a Cowboys defensive staff now under the direction of coordinator Christian Parker, who comes over from the Philadelphia Eagles.