The news of the departure of cornerbacks coach Kevin Curtis was a blow for SMU. Curtis officially was named the cornerbacks coach at Baylor on Sunday.

Sonny Dykes' decision for a replacement, however, wasn't as difficult as some may have assumed. Dykes looked into his young staff and promoted a deserving graduate assistant with experience at the position.

Per sources close to The HillTopics, SMU will announce that Stefan McClure will be named the new cornerbacks coach for the Mustangs. A defensive graduate assistant at SMU since 2019, McClure will get his first official assistant coach's position.

McClure is a former NFL safety who saw time with the Indianapolis Colts, Washington Redskins, Detroit Lions and then-Oakland Raiders. Prior to the pro stints, McClure was a three-year captain at Cal. Per his SMU bio, he's the only Cal player in school history to serve as team captain for three seasons.

McClure's relationship with Dykes began in 2013 -- when Dykes was the head coach at Cal -- and it continued in the form of letters, texts and calls throughout his NFL career. Back in June, McClure spoke with The HillTopics as a grad assistant about the transition from playing the game to coaching the game. He spoke about the feelings he had all the way back to when he would assist in coaching at summer camps.

"Seeing them being able to make a play and seeing how excited they get," McClure told The HillTopics. "They understand there is a process and how much work they had to put in to make that play. It is just great to see them grow, even in just a weekend or a spring."

McClure will have the opportunity to coach several talented cornerbacks, including incumbent starters Ar'mani Johnson and Brandon Crossley. Others to keep an eye on include Bryan Massey and 2021 signee Bryce McMorris.

As a grad assistant with SMU, McClure studied for a master's degree in liberal studies.