UNT to be Dodge driven?

Harry · November 14, 2006

http://www.dentonrc.com/sharedcontent/dws/...4.354f7c5a.html

Southlake Carroll coach has not ruled out move to college ranks after season

10:34 PM CST on Monday, November 13, 2006

By Brett Vito/Staff Writer

Southlake Carroll head coach Todd Dodge said Monday he hasn't ruled out the possibility of taking a college coaching job after this season, even though his son Riley is a junior at Carroll.

Dodge has been mentioned as a potential coaching candidate at North Texas, which fired head coach Darrell Dickey on Wednesday with three games left in his ninth season with the Mean Green.

"Riley and I are looking forward to this window of opportunity, but it is not set in stone that I won't leave before he graduates," Dodge said. "I look at it as pouring myself into each season. If an opportunity comes after the season, then I will look at it."

Dodge is one of the most successful high school coaches in the state and the nation. The former Texas quarterback was named the Schutt Sports National High School Coach of the Year for the 2004 season. Carroll has advanced to either the Class 5A Division I or Division II title game in each of the last four seasons.

The Dragons won state titles in 2002, 2004 and 2005 and won their 50th straight regular season game since joining class 5A in 2002 on Friday, when they completed a perfect 10-0 regular season.

UNT athletic director Rick Villarreal is conducting the Mean Green's search for a new head coach along with university president Gretchen Bataille. Villarreal has set no timetable for the search, but said he wants to get a new coach in place as soon as possible to allow him time to put together a recruiting class.

"If you are going to make a change in a program you need to get on track to get a new coach," Villarreal said. "Recruiting is an integral part of what you do. That process of getting a coach in here as quick as possible is important to that area."

Luring Dodge away from Carroll could give the Mean Green a boost in recruiting in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, one of the top areas for talent in the country.

Dodge was UNT's offensive coordinator from 1992-93 under Dennis Parker and is interested in returning to the college level at some point.

"I have not been contacted by North Texas, but after our season is over at Southlake I would be flattered if they wanted to contact me," Dodge said. "I would be happy to visit with them."

UNT could be looking for a coach to spark its offense and establish a more exciting philosophy. The Mean Green produced back-to-back national rushing champions in 2003 and 2004 in Patrick Cobbs and Jamario Thomas, respectively, but have fallen on hard times the last two seasons with a run-based philosophy.

UNT has struggled with an inexperienced group of quarterbacks and is ranked No. 117 out of 119 teams in Division I-A in total offense with an average of 231.1 yards a game.

Mitch Maher, a member of UNT's Athletic Hall of Fame, threw for 2,090 yards in 1992 and 2,595 yards in 1993 while playing under Dodge.

Dodge was a standout quarterback at Texas from 1982-85 and still ranks ninth in school history with 2,791 career passing yards.

Riley has followed in his father's footsteps while developing into a top high school quarterback. He has thrown for 2,628 yards and 36 touchdowns this season and will be one of the top recruits in the area next season.

"Sometime before my career is over I would like to coach in college again," Dodge said. "I enjoyed it. I got out of college coaching for my family and coaching in high school has been a good fit."

SBC coaches dismayed by Dickey firing

The dismissal of head coach Darrell Dickey on Wednesday came as a shock to several of his peers in the Sun Belt Conference, who talked about UNT's decision to make a coaching change on the league's weekly conference call on Monday.

Dickey won four consecutive Sun Belt titles from 2001-04 before his team finished 2-9 last season. UNT is 3-7 this year.

Longtime Sun Belt coaches Steve Roberts of Arkansas State and Rickey Bustle of Louisiana-Lafayette were among several Sun Belt coaches who said Dickey had done an outstanding job of building the program.

"Darrell is a classy guy, a good football coach and has contributed so much to North Texas’ success," Troy head coach Larry Blakeney said. "I hate to see the trigger pulled so quick. Darrell has done a great job and deserved better from the university."

BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870. His e-mail address is bvito@dentonrc.com.

NT03 · November 14, 2006

"I have not been contacted by North Texas, but after our season is over at Southlake I would be flattered if they wanted to contact me," Dodge said. "I would be happy to visit with them."

YES !!! If anyone else out there is for Dodge (like me) , Let's go the SLC playoff games wearing "Please come to NT shirts!"

CaribbeanGreen · November 14, 2006

Longtime Sun Belt coaches Steve Roberts of Arkansas State and Rickey Bustle of Louisiana-Lafayette were among several Sun Belt coaches who said Dickey had done an outstanding job of building the program.
"Darrell is a classy guy, a good football coach and has contributed so much to North Texas’ success," Troy head coach Larry Blakeney said. "I hate to see the trigger pulled so quick. Darrell has done a great job and deserved better from the university."
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Wow. This is really the way it's going pretty much everywhere beyond this board, isn't it??

Good stuff about Dodge, though. I don't know how smart a call it would be, and I can list 100 reasons it would be "the wrong thing to do", but I know the thought of it makes me irrationally excited.

NDT · November 14, 2006

No High School Coach!

GoMeanGreen1999 · November 14, 2006

http://www.dentonrc.com/sharedcontent/dws/...4.354f7c5a.html
"Darrell is a classy guy, a good football coach and has contributed so much to North Texas’ success," Troy head coach Larry Blakeney said. "I hate to see the trigger pulled so quick. Darrell has done a great job and deserved better from the university."
BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870. His e-mail address is bvito@dentonrc.com.
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If Dodge wants to come here, or if he would come here - HIRE HIM.

I actually like that so many people think the firing was a little "trigger" quick....maybe people will see that this Univeristy is serious about moving forward.

NT03 · November 14, 2006

No High School Coach!
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Name me 1 person , just 1 who is a possible candidate that could recruit better in the DFW area than Dodge could ????

UNTflyer · November 14, 2006

It would be a gamble, but it could have a huge payoff. Can you imagine Dodge's system being run at UNT?

Chase Daniel went to Missouri and the coach implemented aspects of the SLC system... look where they are now. I know Riley will probably go to a big school (I think he wants to commit to A&M), but what if he had a chance to be a starter for his Dad in a familiar system?

SilverEagle · November 14, 2006

Name me 1 person , just 1 who is a possible candidate that could recruit better in the DFW area than Dodge could ????
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Dodge hasn't had to recruit since he was a coach here at North Texas. So, that being the case, I would say that Bruce Chambers (the recruiting coordinator at Texas) could probably recruit better than Dodge.

Bruce Chambers played HS ball at Dallas Carter, played football at North Texas under Hayden Fry, and coached at Dallas Carter. He's had several years in the college ranks....coaching AND recruiting.

That's one.

Edited November 14, 2006 by SilverEagle

NT03 · November 14, 2006

Dodge hasn't had to recruit since he was a coach here at North Texas. So, that being the case, I would say that Bruce Chambers (the recruiting coordinator at Texas) could probably recruit better than Dodge.
Bruce Chambers played HS ball at Dallas Carter, played football at North Texas under Hayden Fry, and coached at Dallas Carter. He's had several years in the college ranks....coaching AND recruiting.
That's one.
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That's the only one that I thought of too lol .. He's on my short list

Dodge,Chambers & DeLoach.... all 3 I would be happy with. Other than that im gonna be skeptical about.

November 14, 2006

Name me 1 person , just 1 who is a possible candidate that could recruit better in the DFW area than Dodge could ????
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Well, if I were an offensive lineman, I'd want someone who has proven his ability to develop offensive linemen at the highest college level. That would be McWhorter at UT. If we recruit and develop the right players at this position, the rest will take care of itself. Wouldn't you as a running back want to run behind the best line or as a quarterback want to operate from behind it? And the best defense is a good offense.

This high school coach idea has 'small time' all over it. This is not high school. Think BIG.

NT03 · November 14, 2006

Well, if I were an offensive lineman, I'd want someone who has proven his ability to develop offensive linemen at the highest college level. That would be McWhorter at UT. If we recruit and develop the right players at this position, the rest will take care of itself. Wouldn't you as a running back want to run behind the best line or as a quarterback want to operate from behind it? And the best defense is a good offense.
This high school coach idea has 'small time' all over it. This is not high school. Think BIG.
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I dont think he is a candidate

November 14, 2006

I'd like to add one more thing. Anteing up and taking something away from UT has benefits of its own. This is not a 'positive sum' game.

NDT · November 14, 2006

The justification for hiring Dennis Parker was that he could recruit better because he was a high school coach and had just won a State Championship. Dodge by the way was his OC. Why do you think that a high school coach would automatically be a good recruiter?

ipEAGLE · November 14, 2006

Why do you think that a high school coach would automatically be a good recruiter?
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Plenty of practice at South Lake Carrol?

November 14, 2006

I dont think he is a candidate
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If you mean McWhorter is not a candidate then that would be either a regrettable oversight, a mistake about the direction/level of expectation, or a situation where there are skeletons in the closet that I don't know about.

Cr1028 · November 14, 2006

http://www.dentonrc.com/sharedcontent/dws/...4.354f7c5a.html
"Darrell is a classy guy, a good football coach and has contributed so much to North Texas’ success," Troy head coach Larry Blakeney said. "I hate to see the trigger pulled so quick. Darrell has done a great job and deserved better from the university."
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Translation: Just when we figure out hot to stop them, they throw something new at us.

Edited November 14, 2006 by Cr1028

Cr1028 · November 14, 2006

Dodge hasn't had to recruit since he was a coach here at North Texas. So, that being the case, I would say that Bruce Chambers (the recruiting coordinator at Texas) could probably recruit better than Dodge.
Bruce Chambers played HS ball at Dallas Carter, played football at North Texas under Hayden Fry, and coached at Dallas Carter. He's had several years in the college ranks....coaching AND recruiting.
That's one.
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While Chambers is a good choice, I'm don't know if we can really judge how well he could recruit here. In the Dallas area, Texas and OU pretty much recruit themself.

NT03 · November 14, 2006

While UT and OU will own the DFW for years to come in recruting just based on their namesake. I think there is NO DOUBT that Dodge could get top rated QBs year n and year out to be interested n coming to Denton.

Hell , just look at the turnout #'s for his QB camp each summer. Kids from all over the country are now flocking down here. With good QBs come good WRs. Then hopefully the chips will just fall after that. Main thing is OL , but at this point the only way NT can go is up n that department.

FirefightnRick · November 14, 2006

but....but...but....I thought it aint gonna happen?

Just a tiny dig there Dawg!

Rick

Monkeypox · November 14, 2006

While Chambers is a good choice, I'm don't know if we can really judge how well he could recruit here. In the Dallas area, Texas and OU pretty much recruit themself.
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No. Texas became a perrenial top-5 recruiter with the hiring of Bruce Chambers and his pipeline to the obscenely talented DFW area and specifically Dallas-Carter. Yes, it wouldn't be as easy for him to recruit here, but he has connections all over the place, and it would certainly get us on a lot more players' lists of consideration - particularly the type of players we routinely saw considering the SMUs and Baylors and UTEPs and Louisiana Techs and couldn't understand why not us.

And as someone else pointed out. Stealing someone as important to UT's staff would have an impact on the landscape of college football in the state. Trust me when I say there's no one on that staff they're more afraid of losing.

November 14, 2006

While UT and OU will own the DFW for years to come in recruting just based on their namesake. I think there is NO DOUBT that Dodge could get top rated QBs year n and year out to be interested n coming to Denton.
Hell , just look at the turnout #'s for his QB camp each summer. Kids from all over the country are now flocking down here. With good QBs come good WRs. Then hopefully the chips will just fall after that. Main thing is OL , but at this point the only way NT can go is up n that department.
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If the line is not strong, it doesn't matter who is back there running for their lives.

NDT · November 14, 2006

Whoever the new coach is I hope he keeps Brewster (working with OL) and Hurd (working with LB).

FirefightnRick · November 14, 2006

I have heard, and this is just another one of those rumours, but from the same source that told me weeks ago that Dodge would consider a college job if the right opportunity came along,(and now that apparantly was true) but I hear that there is a chance that if TD comes he would bring a staff that is laden with college experienced assitants, including one from tU.

No one on this board was more against the Parker hiring than me. If you were I didn't see you holding up your protest sign at the first basketball game after the announcement was made. I'm still pissed off, stunned and will always shake my head in wonderment how it was that we sluft off Paul Johnson for Dennis Parker. But be that as it may, there is no way in hell you can compare that hiring of Parker in '91 to what it would mean to hire Todd Dodge in '06. Parker had never coached a single solitary day of college football at any level. Not one. Dodge on the other hand is lightyears of Parker in every way measurable. If the pro's thought enough of him to offer up a job then he's certainly a quality consideration for what we want to do at NT.

Rick

NT80 · November 14, 2006

Wow. This is really the way it's going pretty much everywhere beyond this board, isn't it??
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Yes, those SBC coaches would love for Dickey-ball to stick around.

NT80 · November 14, 2006

The justification for hiring Dennis Parker was that he could recruit better because he was a high school coach and had just won a State Championship. Dodge by the way was his OC. Why do you think that a high school coach would automatically be a good recruiter?
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Do we trade a Buick for a Dodge?

I like SLC's offensive system but I'm still gun shy from the Dennis Parker era, not sure about another HS coach.