Former Southlake Carroll, UNT head coach Todd Dodge reflects on HS to

gangrene · December 11, 2014

Former Southlake Carroll, UNT head coach Todd Dodge reflects on HS to college jump with USA Today.

Not to bring up the past, but this article was just published today. I found it interesting and there are some classy comments from Dodge, at least in the DMN article. I haven't read the full USA Today article yet.

Sorry if this has already been posted, I'm not able to spend a lot of time on GMG these days.

untbowler · December 11, 2014

One thing Dodge was and still remains is classy, can not remember him saying anything negative about UNT after his dismissal.

Really a shame it did not work out for him and he could of had Apogee to recruit in as he did bring in the crowds even while losing.

untjim1995 · December 11, 2014

One thing Dodge was and still remains is classy, can not remember him saying anything negative about UNT after his dismissal.

Really a shame it did not work out for him and he could of had Apogee to recruit in as he did bring in the crowds even while losing.

The worst part of this is that it wasn't even remotely close to working out...it wasn't even remotely close to just being bad...colossal failure is the term that comes to mind.

Got5onIt · December 11, 2014

One thing Dodge was and still remains is classy, can not remember him saying anything negative about UNT after his dismissal.
Really a shame it did not work out for him and he could of had Apogee to recruit in as he did bring in the crowds even while losing.

And how should his attitude be after failing miserably and getting paid a ridiculous sum to do so? Hell yeah he'd do it over again...

UNT90 · December 14, 2014

Kind of a shot at UNT in the last paragraph where he says the Nevada guy is blessed to be hired by a consistent program, implying that he wasn't.

Other than that, it appears he has learned his lesson, which says a lot for him.

cdizzle86 · December 14, 2014

Always was a fan of Coach Dodge, always will be. Unfortunately it didn't work out, but I nothing but respect for him and Riley.

emmitt01 · December 14, 2014

Reflections by Todd Dodge...

"I remember that one time, or was it two, that I went 1-11. Those were good times. And there were the glory days. 2-10, we were truly living in high cotton that year. How I didn't win coach of the year is beyond me. But at least they named that new stadium, which wouldn't have been possible without me, after me. What's that? They didn't? Apogee???!! Who the hell is that guy? Does he have any state titles? Well, does he? Exactly...probably a horrible husband and father too"

SilverEagle · December 14, 2014

What would he have done differently:

However, if I had it to do over again, I took four assistants with me off my staff and I absolutely would take them again because they deserve it, but I put two of them in coordinator positions. I don’t think that was the right thing to do – not because they’re not capable coaches, but because that’s a pretty big job.

All he had to do to make for a better outcome for himself, and North Texas, was not bring Mendoza over from Southlake and retain Fred Bliel and most of the other defensive staff. But his ego just won't allow him to publically admit it.

NT03 · December 14, 2014

Kind of a shot at UNT in the last paragraph where he says the Nevada guy is blessed to be hired by a consistent program, implying that he wasn't.
Other than that, it appears he has learned his lesson, which says a lot for him.

But was he wrong ?

UNT90 · December 14, 2014

But was he wrong ?

Maybe if the guy was going to coach basketball at UNLV, Dodge wouldn't be wrong.

But they have been historically almost as bad as us in football, no?

meangreendork · December 14, 2014

All he had to do to make for a better outcome for himself, and North Texas, was not bring Mendoza over from Southlake and retain Fred Bliel and most of the other defensive staff. But his ego just won't allow him to publically admit it.

I think I agree with that. Mendoza wasn't ready for the college game. Not even close. Had Dodge kept Bliel and then eventually replaced bits and pieces of his staff with college-level talent, he'd still be here. I think that Dodge and Canales had the offensive game figured out, but without a solid DC, well - high scoring losses are the result.

NT03 · December 14, 2014

Maybe if the guy was going to coach basketball at UNLV, Dodge wouldn't be wrong.
But they have been historically almost as bad as us in football, no?

Brain freeze.. You typed Nevada & I immediately thought of Nevada U football , not UNLV

UNT90 · December 14, 2014

I think I agree with that. Mendoza wasn't ready for the college game. Not even close. Had Dodge kept Bliel and then eventually replaced bits and pieces of his staff with college-level talent, he'd still be here. I think that Dodge and Canales had the offensive game figured out, but without a solid DC, well - high scoring losses are the result.

Dodge would have been smart to keep the entire defensive staff, as I think we ranked in the 60s in defense the previous season and had 9 (?) starters returning.

FirefightnRick · December 14, 2014

All he had to do to make for a better outcome for himself, and North Texas, was not bring Mendoza over from Southlake and retain Fred Bliel and most of the other defensive staff. But his ego just won't allow him to publically admit it.

Mendoza was a disasterous DC, micromanaged every position coach on that side of the LOS and ran off his best DB coach who had coached here before within a couple of games into the season. But it was Dodge's decision to not allow full contact during that first camp to prepare for OU. A decision that affected that defense the entire year.

And we know why he didn't try to retain any of Dickey's coaches until it was too late. Told not to hire them by RV, which I understand to a point in trying to clean house and start fresh. But later he was told he could and he attempted to hire Evans but it was too late as Evans had already signed on with Dooley at La Tech. Evans would have helped us a lot and would have helped TD with the transition to running a college program.

And if anything Evans would have taught him, he would have taught him there's more important things to worry about than cussing on the sidelines, and he also would have taught him that if your going to notify the president that your having your entire team drug tested, that you don't use a public university email system to do so, that you simply walk across the street and into the prez's office and close the door.

Only at North Texas!

Rick

SilverEagle · December 14, 2014

Dodge would have been smart to keep the entire defensive staff, as I think we ranked in the 60s in defense the previous season and had 9 (?) starters returning.

Looking at the results for those four years, and being optimistic in the early years. A better defense could have.......

made the 07 season 6-6 or 7-5 instead of 2-10

made the 08 season 3-8 instead of 1-11

made the 09 season 9-3 instead of 2-10

made the 10 season 9-3 instead of 3-9

SilverEagle · December 14, 2014

Mendoza was a disasterous DC, micromanaged every position coach on that side of the LOS and ran off his best DB coach who had coached here before within a couple of games into the season. But it was Dodge's decision to not allow full contact during that first camp to prepare for OU. A decision that affected that defense the entire year.
And we know why he didn't try to retain any of Dickey's coaches until it was too late. Told not to hire them by RV, which I understand to a point in trying to clean house and start fresh. But later he was told he could and he attempted to hire Evans but it was too late as Evans had already signed on with Dooley at La Tech. Evans would have helped us a lot and would have helped TD with the transition to running a college program.
And if anything Evans would have taught him, he would have taught him there's more important things to worry about than cussing on the sidelines, and he also would have taught him that if your going to notify the president that your having your entire team drug tested, that you don't use a public university email system to do so, that you simply walk across the street and into the prez's office and close the door.
Only at North Texas!
Rick
Rick

You are being very generous to RV on that point. I think that if it was RV's decision it was about saving a few bucks. Bliel and his staff were probably making more than Mendoza and his rookie staff ended up making. Which; even if they paid Mendoza $1.98 per hour, it would have been too much.

oldguystudent · December 14, 2014

Which; even if they paid Mendoza $1.98 per hour, it would have been too much.

This brings back fond memories:

Cerebus · December 14, 2014

This brings back fond memories:

Only an America positively buried under a tidal wave of quaaludes, short shorts, cocaine, and hairspray can explain the existence of Rip Taylor.

Edited December 14, 2014 by Cerebus

UNT90 · December 14, 2014

Always got Rip Taylor and Rip Torn confused...

Cerebus · December 14, 2014

Always got Rip Taylor and Rip Torn confused...

Well one guy is this guy:

And the other guy is this guy:

Appearing as an interview subject in Studs Terkel's 1974 oral-history book Working, Torn confessed, "I have certain flaws in my make-up. Something called irascibility. I get angry easily. I get saddened by things easily."[21]
While filming Maidstone (1970) Torn, apparently unhappy with the film, struck director and star of the film Norman Mailer in the head with a hammer.[22][23] With the camera rolling, Mailer bit Torn's ear and they wrestled to the ground. The fight continued until it was broken up by cast and crew members as Mailer's children screamed in the background.[22] The fight is featured in the film.
In 1994 Torn filed a defamation lawsuit against Dennis Hopper over a story Hopper told on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.[8] Hopper claimed that Torn pulled a knife on him during pre-production of the film Easy Rider (1969). According to Hopper, Torn was originally cast in the film but was replaced with Jack Nicholson after the incident. According to Torn's suit, it was actually Hopper who pulled the knife on him, and Torn demanded a retraction from Hopper.
On January 29, 2010, Torn was arrested after breaking into a closed Litchfield Bancorp branch office in Lakeville, Connecticut, where Torn maintains a residence. He was charged with carrying a firearm without a permit, carrying a firearm while intoxicated, first-degree burglary, second-degree criminal trespassing and third-degree criminal mischief. The Connecticut State Police said that Torn broke into the bank thinking it was his home.[17]