Tim MacMahon wants Todd Dodge at UNT

MeanGreenZen · November 9, 2006

From the Belo Blog...

Advice for the Mean Green

The North Texas football program has been in a steady decline since I left Denton, resulting in today's announcement that coach Darrell Dickey will not return. The Mean Green obviously misses me pointing the program in the right direction, so here I come to save the day.

Hire Todd Dodge away from Southlake Carroll.

Yes, hire a high school coach. So what if Dennis Parker didn't work out so well in the 1990s? Dodge, an ex-Texas QB whose team has lost once in the last five seasons, is an offensive whiz kid who would put points on the board and butts in the seats.

Dodge, whose hiring would create a huge buzz for UNT, would immediately make the Mean Green more attractive in the eyes of recruits. QBs and WRs will want to play for him. I think it's safe to say he'd have an inside track on the loaded junior class at Carroll, including his QB son, Riley.

A couple of dudes I've talked to shot my theory down by saying Dodge wouldn't want to go to UNT. He won't leave Carroll until Riley graduates, they figured. Hogwash, especially if they live their dream by going undefeated this season.

And money talks. UNT ought to be able to nearly triple Dodge's salary. It'd be a wise investment.

NT80 · November 9, 2006

From the Belo Blog...
Advice for the Mean Green
The North Texas football program has been in a steady decline since I left Denton, resulting in today's announcement that coach Darrell Dickey will not return. The Mean Green obviously misses me pointing the program in the right direction, so here I come to save the day.
Hire Todd Dodge away from Southlake Carroll.
Yes, hire a high school coach. So what if Dennis Parker didn't work out so well in the 1990s? Dodge, an ex-Texas QB whose team has lost once in the last five seasons, is an offensive whiz kid who would put points on the board and butts in the seats.
Dodge, whose hiring would create a huge buzz for UNT, would immediately make the Mean Green more attractive in the eyes of recruits. QBs and WRs will want to play for him. I think it's safe to say he'd have an inside track on the loaded junior class at Carroll, including his QB son, Riley.
A couple of dudes I've talked to shot my theory down by saying Dodge wouldn't want to go to UNT. He won't leave Carroll until Riley graduates, they figured. Hogwash, especially if they live their dream by going undefeated this season.
And money talks. UNT ought to be able to nearly triple Dodge's salary. It'd be a wise investment.
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I agree he would be a great hire for marketing and recruiting. But also agree that he probably won't come because his son will be a senior next year and Dodge has BCS-envy.

good_ken · November 9, 2006

It would also give us an inside track on the running back: Tre Newton. I think his daddy played some pro ball.

I don't think this hire will happen, but we can dream.

shaft · November 9, 2006

Didn't daddy also sell some pro-weed?

A high school coach is bad move. Its real easy to coach in a single school district (South Lake, Duncanville, Judson, Highland Park etc) with a big budget (top 10 richest school district win a majority of the UIL awards).

good_ken · November 9, 2006

Tell that to Houston, who hired an entire high school staff; and is reaping huge rewards from the risk.

Remember, this is all a risk/reward thing. The safe move will be a coordinator somewhere. Everything else is gonna require some risk; and a 12 pounder.

meanrob · November 9, 2006

Tell that to Houston, who hired an entire high school staff; and is reaping huge rewards from the risk.
Remember, this is all a risk/reward thing. The safe move will be a coordinator somewhere. Everything else is gonna require some risk; and a 12 pounder.
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Briles coached at Tech for a couple of years before being hired by UH.

DeepGreen · November 9, 2006

Briles coached at Tech for a couple of years before being hired by UH.
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I know Dodge coached at UNT for a couple of years under Matt Simon. Has he had any other college coaching gigs before or since his days at NT?

I'd sure like to give Dodge a try. The guy knows football and is one of the top rated HS coaches in America. SBC level competition would be a perfect stepping stone for him even if he does end up at a BCS program in a couple of years.

NT needs a buzz, and Dodge could do it.

MeanGreenZen · November 9, 2006

A high school coach is bad move. Its real easy to coach in a single school district (South Lake, Duncanville, Judson, Highland Park etc) with a big budget (top 10 richest school district win a majority of the UIL awards).
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Dodge was a pretty successful coach at Carrollton Newman Smith (which is not a big budget, single school district program) before he took over at Southlake Carroll.

The guy is an offensive guru. He has college coaching experience (at UNT!). He has a name that would be recognized in every high school in the state. He has produced maybe the most dominant dynasty in high school football history. He is the cure for what ails us.

Edited November 9, 2006 by MG Insurance Pro

ipEAGLE · November 9, 2006

Stay away from ANY high school coach.

NT80 · November 9, 2006

Dodge was a pretty successful coach at Carrollton Newman Smith (which is not a big budget, single school district program) before he took over at Southlake Carroll.
The guy is an offensive guru. He has college coaching experience (at UNT!). He has a name that would be recognized in every high school in the state. He has produced maybe the most dominant dynasty in high school football history. He is the cure for what ails us.
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Article about HS salaries:

An analysis of the numbers led to some surprising findings. For instance, Southlake Carroll coach Todd Dodge, whose teams are 63-1 the last four years with three Class 5A state titles and two seasons that ended with mythical national championships, ranks No. 22 at $90,010.

TOM FOX/DMN

Southlake Carroll coach Todd Dodge (left), winner of three state titles in four years, is a relative bargain at $90,010 or $5,625.63 per victory. What becomes an issue is the scope of a coach's duties and the time they require. It is rare these days to find a head football coach who actually teaches in the classroom. Many, though not all, suburban districts also put the football coach in charge of a school's athletic program.

"If people would really just take the time to follow 5A or 4A coaches around from Aug. 1 until five or six rounds of the playoffs, they never would say that $82,000 is too much," Mr. Dodge said of the average coaching salary. "It's a seven-day-a-week job from 7 in the morning until 9 at night. If you broke it down to the number of hours that a high school football coach works, I know one thing: All of us would be pretty depressed."

UNTSIG · November 9, 2006

we don't need a high school coach. making that jump is incredible for anybody. i don't care if the SLC coach gives everyone in the DFW area a hard on or not. Also, don't bring up Houston. That coach went to Tech first. I have heard that argument a few times. Get us a good D1 OC or DC from an area major school with recruiting ties and that would be the best thing for us! Start looking at OU, A&M, UT, Tech (you get my point) staff members and see what's out there.

calvin · November 9, 2006

Dodge was a pretty successful coach at Carrollton Newman Smith (which is not a big budget, single school district program) before he took over at Southlake Carroll.
The guy is an offensive guru. He has college coaching experience (at UNT!). He has a name that would be recognized in every high school in the state. He has produced maybe the most dominant dynasty in high school football history. He is the cure for what ails us.
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I think you may want to check again, I think he was 4-6 a couple of years at Newman Smith. I think he is a good coach but why would he leave a place that has better facilities than us ?

shaft · November 9, 2006

And Newman Smith was competitive until the district opened Creekview, so shifted where the budget neighborhood went to school.

This is mute issue since rumor has it Kevin Federline as already been hired as the replacement coach. I hear that guy can do anything.

Will to Win · November 9, 2006

I'd sure like to give Dodge a try. The guy knows football and is one of the top rated HS coaches in America. SBC level competition would be a perfect stepping stone for him even if he does end up at a BCS program in a couple of years.
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I don't mind being used as a stepping stone if it means TD coming to town for a couple of years!

MeanGreenZen · November 9, 2006

Stay away from ANY high school coach.
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Dodge was the offensive coordinator for two years at UNT!!! Does that not qualify him as a college coach?

Since then he's just gone on to be the most dominant high school coach in the history of the world! Texas high school football is every bit, if not more, competitive than the Sun Belt conference. Of course, the talent level is less, but the pressure and committment required by coaches to build a winning program is the same.

I don't want to get stuck with the Southern Miss laundry coordinator as our new coach. Todd Dodge is a "swing for the fences" type pick for UNT. He finished his high school playing career as the state's all-time leading passer and was the starting quarterback at the University of Texas. This guy is just a winner. Don't you want somebody like that on your team?

Here is an interesting interview with him ...

http://www.scholastic.com/coach/article.asp?ItemID=291

MeanGreenBuzz · November 9, 2006

If you want a proven college level whiz kid hire the OC from Clemson, Rob Spence. He has one of the best offensive track records at this level over the last 5 years.