USA Today article about TD hire

gangrene · December 13, 2006

Hmmm....some of the last few paragraphs have negative connotations that we could live without IMO.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/foo...xas-dodge_x.htm

North Texas hires top Texas high school coach

Updated 12/12/2006 6:30 PM ET

DALLAS (AP) — Todd Dodge, who led Southlake Carroll High School to three Texas state championships as well as national prominence, was hired as head coach at North Texas on Tuesday, a source with knowledge of the agreement said.

Dodge, who will make the rare jump from high schools to the top of an NCAA Division I-A program, will be introduced at an evening news conference at the Denton school, said a source who couldn't be identified because Dodge's hiring hadn't been announced.

A former Texas quarterback, Dodge has led Carroll to a 77-1 record in five seasons in the state's highest classification. The team has won 46 consecutive games and is two wins from a third consecutive state title and the fourth in five years. Its regular-season winning streak is 50.

The Dragons won back-to-back "mythical" national championships, based on national polls, and two years ago they played on ESPN2 in the first Texas high school game televised nationally.

Dodge was the offensive coordinator at UNT in 1992-93 before returning to high schools to start his head coaching career. Last year, he interviewed with Bill Parcells for an opening on the Dallas Cowboys staff, and he turned down an invitation to interview for the opening at Rice.

Dodge and UNT athletic director Rick Villarreal didn't immediately return phone calls seeking comment.

Dodge replaces Darrell Dickey, who was fired midway through a 3-9 season that left him with a 42-64 record over nine years.

Under Dickey, the Mean Green went to the New Orleans Bowl as Sun Belt Conference champion four straight times from 2001-04 and featured a pair of running backs that were among the national leaders in Patrick Cobbs and Jamario Thomas. But a second straight losing season was marked by dwindling attendance, bottoming out at 9,806 in the finale.

North Texas averaged almost 16,000 fans per game, or about 30,000 fewer than the crowd for Carroll's 22-21 victory against Euless Trinity in a playoff thriller at Texas Stadium last month. The 46,339 fans for that game are thought to be the second-most for a high school game in Texas.

The Dragons have been generating that kind of buzz for a several years with their four-receiver, no-huddle spread offense, also known as "Dodge Ball."

The latest triggerman — Dodge's son, Riley — has the Dragons rolling along at 14-0 heading into the Class 5A Division II semifinals Saturday against Allen. He will now have a different coach for his senior season next year, but the family won't have to move. Dodge's new office will be about 20 miles north of his old one, and his decision will raise questions about a possible reunion in college.

Riley Dodge's two predecessors landed at Division I schools, highlighted by Chase Daniel, the Missouri starter who led the Tigers to a 6-0 start and will play in the Sun Bowl in El Paso in a couple of weeks. Riley Dodge is projected as one of the state's top quarterback prospects for the 2008 recruiting season, according to Jeremy Crabtree of rivals.com.

If the hiring of a high school coach to run a Division I program raises questions, it won't be the first time Dodge's credentials were questioned.

He had a losing record as a head coach when he started at Carroll, which won a state-record 72 straight regular season games in smaller classifications from 1986-94. Dodge lost his first three games, but he's 96-8 since. The only loss in the past five seasons was by a point to Katy in the 2003 5A Division II championship game.

Dickey was fired just weeks after suffering a heart attack, prompting criticism from a prominent booster who demanded that the school rename a new practice facility after Dickey. UNT officials have said they plan to honor the request.

Posted 12/12/2006 5:12 PM ET

Updated 12/12/2006 6:30 PM ET

Will to Win · December 13, 2006

North Texas averaged almost 16,000 fans per game, or about 30,000 fewer than the crowd for Carroll's 22-21 victory against Euless Trinity in a playoff thriller at Texas Stadium last month. The 46,339 fans for that game are thought to be the second-most for a high school game in Texas.
Posted 12/12/2006 5:12 PM ET
Updated 12/12/2006 6:30 PM ET
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this freak is comparing our season avg. vs ONE high profile state playoff game! This makes me freakin mad!

This dude needs to go to the local sushi bar and have a polonium-210 egg roll, NOW!

MeanGreenBuzz · December 13, 2006

Overall the most in depth article I've seen so far. The attendance comparison sucks, but you also have to remember TD puts butts in seats and I expect him to do the same here. We will get a lot more of the random curious people coming to the game now than ever before.

GoMeanGreen1999 · December 13, 2006

Overall the most in depth article I've seen so far. The attendance comparison sucks, but you also have to remember TD puts butts in seats and I expect him to do the same here. We will get a lot more of the random curious people coming to the game now than ever before.
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I think it is awesome to see articles like that.