SMU assistant football coach Jamal Powell died Tuesday after being diagnosed with incurable cancer and Guillen-Barre Syndrome, per Frank Heinz of NBC DFW.
Powell died four days before his 40th birthday.
The school confirmed the news Wednesday:
"It’s hard to put into words how heartbroken our family is, but we are so thankful such a remarkable and unique man came into our life," head coach Sonny Dykes said in a statement. "He made everyone he met want to be better. God bless the Powell Family."
Powell spent the past three years at SMU, beginning as an offensive line coach in 2018 before becoming an offensive quality control analyst.