Dodge it is

[Cerebus]

Press conference later today.

[Rudy]

Breaking on the ticket. Kinda getting that giddy Christmas feeling like Im 12 again.

[medpilot21]

YYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I feel like I could cry...Rick Villareal is like Butter!!! I'm getting verclempt, talk amongst yourselves. I'll give you a topic. Rhode Island is neither a road nor an island, discuss....

GMG!!!

[Rudy]

I'll give you a topic. Rhode Island is neither a road nor an island, discuss....

GMG!!!

←

You finally were able to shoehorn that one in Med.

[Cerebus]

Don't expect an announcement of any kind unil after the BOR meeting is over.

In other words, late today, or early tomorrow.

[KingDL1]

SMU Comments

[untbowler]

SMU Comments

←

ok so OC PMustang is a jackass. Guess $$$ can not teach class.

Bring on the Dodge!!!

[EagleD]

I don't have access to the Startlegram, but it's evidently on the front of the sports page.

GO MEAN GREEN !!!!!!!!

[Green92]

Sweet.

Happy, happy, joy, joy....

[EagleD]

Here's the link:

Star Telegram

Dodge in line to get UNT job

By TROY PHILLIPS

Star-Telegram Staff Writer

Carroll coach Todd Dodge will reportedly be named head coach at North Texas, where he was an assistant in 1992-93.

STAR-TELEGRAM/SHARON M. STEINMAN

Carroll coach Todd Dodge will reportedly be named head coach at North Texas, where he was an assistant in 1992-93.

The search for a new North Texas head football coach is expected to end in the next 48 hours.

All signs point in the direction of Carroll High School coach Todd Dodge as being UNT's choice to replace Darrell Dickey, who was fired on Nov. 8.

Sources close to UNT's search, while not confirming Dodge will be hired, said an announcement concerning the head coaching job is expected as early as this afternoon. UNT could call a news conference late this afternoon or Wednesday morning.

Also today during a scheduled 2 p.m. meeting, the UNT Board of Regents will vote to authorize athletic director Rick Villarreal and school president Gretchen M. Bataille to enter into a contract with a new football coach.

Asked over the weekend what that vote is about, Villarreal said, "The board only approves the parameters of a contract and not a specific coach."

Villarreal, who did not return calls or e-mails on Monday, has yet to deny he has interviewed or even spoken to Dodge, but sources say a meeting or meetings have occurred. Dodge denied any knowledge of a news conference this week to announce his hiring at UNT.

Carroll (14-0) is scheduled to face Allen in the Class 5A Division I state semifinals on Saturday. Since moving up from Class 4A to 5A in 2002, Carroll is 77-1 and has won a state title three of the past four seasons.

"I'm not sure," Dodge said Monday, when asked why all speculation leads to him. "I'm just trying to get this team ready. I don't know anything about a press conference."

Asked if he was "unequivocally denying" that he would be UNT's next coach, Dodge didn't answer the question.

"I can't comment on this," he said.

Asked if Dodge is leaving, Carroll athletic director Ronnie Tipps declined to comment.

Dodge, a former quarterback at Texas, was a UNT assistant coach in 1992-93 and has also been a head coach at Cameron Yoe, Carrollton Smith and Fossil Ridge.

He appears to have been UNT's frontrunner for some time, despite reports Villarreal showed strong interest in University of San Diego coach Jim Harbaugh and South Carolina defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix. Harbaugh reportedly interviewed at UNT last week, and Nix withdrew from consideration several days earlier.

Sources also say Villarreal interviewed Nebraska offensive coordinator Jay Norvell.

It's not known whether Dodge has notified Carroll officials of his intent to resign after the football season. He will also coach one team at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, a national high school all-star game, on Jan. 6. Starting Dec. 18, the weeks leading up to that game are dead (no-contact) weeks for college recruiting.

The dead period runs again until Jan. 11, and because so few recruiting days remain until the process picks up again on Jan. 12, sources said UNT felt like it had to make a move now.

Staff writer Trae Thompson contributed to this story.

IN THE KNOW

Todd Dodge résumé

YEAR-BY-YEAR RECORD

A look at Todd Dodge's career at Carroll, where he is 96-11:

Season Rec. Result

2000 9-5 4A Division II Region I final

2001 10-5 4A Division II state semifinals

2002 16-0 5A Division II state champions

2003 15-1 5A Division II state runner-up

2004 16-0 5A Division II state champions

2005 16-0 5A Division II state champions

2006 14-0 Play Saturday in 5A Division I semifinals

ACHIEVEMENTS

Assistant coach for West team in 2006 U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

2004 National Coach of the Year by USA Today.

Coached the North team in the 2004 Texas High School Coaches Association all-star football game.

Carroll is 77-1 since moving to Class 5A in 2002.

Guided Carroll to a record four consecutive Class 5A state title game appearances (2002-05).

Won three Class 5A Division II state titles (2002, 2004, 2005) and two mythical national championships (2004, 2005).

Produced four consecutive Associated Press Players of the Year (QBs Chase Wasson in 2002, Chase Daniel in 2003 and 2004, Greg McElroy in 2005).

Troy Phillips, 817-390-7760 tphillips@star-telegram.com