Former Texas Tech coach Spike Dykes dead at 79
Mark Goodson/The Highlander
Spike Dykes is seen here in 2013 in Horseshoe Bay, his retirement-adopted hometown. The illustrious Texas Tech football coach died Monday, April 10, of an apparant heart attack.
By Mark Goodson
Highlander Sports Editor
Spike Dykes, the legendary Texas Tech University coach who was known for the one-liners, died early Monday of an apparent heart attack. He was 79.
“It’s a huge loss,’’ said Susan Bellard, a friend and wife of coach Emory Bellard. “This was going to be the last tournament.’’
Dykes, who has lived the Horseshoe Bay for almost two decades, had teamed with Bellard to start the Kids Care-A-Van Classic.
The annual golf tournament and tailgate party raises money to provide heath care for needy kids in the Highland Lakes.
More than $2 million has been raised through the endowment in 14 years.
“We had been talking about this being the last one,’’ said Becky Fox, director of development for the hospital.
“This was going to be the grand finale. We’re going to make sure it honors him well.’’
Fox said she had talked to Dykes often over the last few months.
“He was always wanting to make sure that we continue to work to help the kids, that was important to him.’’ Fox said.
Fox said that Dykes was always genuine and willing to help no matter how busy he was.
The former coach was known for his tales of football and Texas lore.
He had many stops in his career, but Lubbock is where he earned his fame. Horseshoe Bay is where he decided to settle with his wife, Sharon. He loved to spend time on the area golf courses and was a solid golfer. He still carried clubs with Texas Tech colors.
When he retired, he was the winningest football coach in Texas Tech history, though he was later surpassed by his successor, Mike Leach.
He spent a lot of time in the Texas high school football ranks. Dykes joined the Red Raiders in 1984. He was promoted to head coach after David McWilliams’ departure before the Independence Bowl in 1986 and went 82-67-1 over the next 13-plus seasons.
He was a three-time Southwest Conference coach of the year, the Big 12 coach of the year in the conference’s first season and a 2008 inductee of the Texas Sports Hall of Fame.
Dykes was preceded in death by his wife, Sharon, who died from Alzheimer’s related complications in 2010.
He is survived by two sons, Rick and Daniel “Sonny,” and a daughter, Bebe Petree. Sonny is currently an offensive analyst at Texas Christian University after having served as head coach of the California Golden Bears from 2013 through last season. Rick, a former offensive coordinator under his father at Texas Tech, is now a Lubbock businessman.
