Texas Tech confirmed Monday that former coach Spike Dykes died at the age of 79.

Dykes’ name was synonymous with the Texas Tech program, as he helped build it into what it is today. Dykes took over the Red Raiders at the end of the 1986 season, inheriting a program that had played in only one bowl game in the previous eight seasons. Over his 13 full seasons in Lubbock, Dykes would lead Texas Tech to six bowl games.

He was named Southwest Conference Coach of the Year three times (1989, ‘93, ‘94) and Big 12 Coach of the Year in 1996.

Dykes spent the first 13 years of his coaching career at the high school level in Texas before becoming an assistant at Texas under Darrell Royal. He would then move on to New Mexico and Mississippi State before returning to the high school level for four years. He returned to college when Texas Tech hired him as its defensive coordinator in 1984.

Dykes is the father of former Cal coach Sonny Dykes, now an offensive analyst at TCU. His other son Rick Dykes was an offensive coordinator at Texas Tech on Dykes’ staff.

When he retired from Texas Tech, Dykes had won more games at the school than any other coach in its history. His 82 wins in Lubbock have since been surpassed by Mike Leach.