Former Texas Tech Coach Spike Dykes Dies at Age 79

Former Texas Tech Red Raiders football coach Spike Dykes has died at age 79, the school announced Monday.

Dykes spent 14 years at the school, compiling an 82-67-1 record and taking the Red Raiders to six bowl games and coaching in a seventh bowl appearance after succeeding David McWilliams in 1986.

Mike Leach is credited with helping to bring Texas Tech to national prominence, but Dykes helped lay the groundwork for that success.

Kliff Kingsbury was a freshman in Dykes' final season (1999) and went on to amass the second-most passing yards (12,249) in Red Raiders history. In his last recruiting class, Dykes also signed Wes Welker and B.J. Symons, both of whom had decorated careers in Lubbock, Texas.

Dykes' 82 wins are second-most in school history behind Leach.

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