Friend and Foe: Sonny Dykes, Rhett Lashlee ready for rivalry in Iron Skillet

Sonny Dykes and Rhett Lashlee first crossed paths on the recruiting trail in 2015. Sonny, then the head coach at Cal, and Rhett, the offensive coordinator at Auburn at the time, were at McEachern High School in Atlanta to recruit quarterback Bailey Hockman. Dykes and Lashlee chatted on the sidelines during the game, and then went their separate ways. 

Lashlee knew the Dykes name prior to the chance encounter. Lashlee grew up in northwest Arkansas, smack dab in Southwest Conference country. Sonny’s dad, Spike, was a living legend in Lubbock coaching the Texas Tech Red Raiders during Lashlee’s formative years.