Although Coach Dykes retired back in 1999, his legacy made a mark on red raider fans young and old. Lubbock resident Henry Henderson said he grew up watching him on the screen. Gathered by his friends at Walk-Ons, Henderson shared his favorite memories of the beloved coach.
“I watched him coach for 20 years, he’s a great man,” Henderson said. “It was the family atmosphere that he brought to Tech, the winning, the tradition.. It’s the good ole boy network Lubbock, Texas.”
Sophomore William Mortiz said although he didn’t personally get to watch him coach, he knows that Dykes is a man that every red raider should know about.
“I just know that he was an important person in Lubbock for getting Texas Tech sports on the map and kind of help them progress the program and help people out in Lubbock as well,” Mortiz said.
Owner of Spanky’s, Lisa West said she remembers the unforgettable energy of game days when Spike Dykes was the coach. She’s owned the burger joint for 35 years, she bought the place in 1982 and Dykes became coach in 1986.
West said Spykes always made an effort to make sure the Texas Tech home games stayed in Lubbock.
“His loyalty to Lubbock meant a lot to small business owners because he fought really hard to keep all of the home games at home when people were trying to move some to neutral playing territories,” West said.
