DMN Mean Green turns to familar face

[OldTimer]

Mean Green turns to a familiar face

UNT athletic director willing to give former assistant a college try

01:23 AM CST on Wednesday, December 13, 2006

By BRETT VITO / Denton Record-Chronicle

DENTON – When Southlake Carroll coach Todd Dodge first talked to North Texas athletic director Rick Villarreal about coaching the Mean Green, some fond memories came rushing back

Dodge was only at UNT for two seasons as an assistant, but it was a time that helped persuade him to leave behind one of the most successful high school programs in the country to return to the college level and take over a program he believes is full of potential.

Dodge, 43, was introduced in front of a crowd of more than 100 at the Mean Green Athletic Center on Tuesday night as UNT's 16th head football coach. Terms of his contract were not disclosed.

Colleges

Colleges blog

Tell us: A good hire for UNT?

Sherrington: Dodge ball will be a hit at UNT

Mean Green turns to familiar face

Dodge inherits team with question marks

Whitmire: Carroll needs to find total package

More: North Texas

"Ever since I coached here in 1992 and 1993 and I left, it was two of my favorite years in 21 years of coaching," he said. "I enjoyed coaching the college level athlete. ... North Texas can turn into the metroplex's team. This place has unbelievable upside. I am not telling anyone anything they don't know."

Dodge replaced Darrell Dickey, who was fired Nov. 8 during his ninth season with the Mean Green.

More than 100 coaches applied to replace Dickey. UNT selected Dodge because of his history of success and approach to the game.

"When we starting doing this, I wanted to make sure that we thought about the kids first," Villarreal said. "What showed through in his interview was his affection for his kids."

Dodge has quickly become a commodity on the coaching market because of his success at Carroll, which won state championships in 2002, 2004 and 2005 in addition to winning the USA Today national title in 2004 and the Prepnation.com title in 2005.

Carroll will play Allen on Saturday at Texas Stadium for a spot in the Class 5A Division I title game.

A year ago, Dodge interviewed with Cowboys coach Bill Parcells for a job as an assistant before deciding to remain at Carroll.

Dodge will finish the season at Carroll before taking over at UNT and building a staff that he said could include some UNT assistants.

The possibility of coaching two more games at Carroll has special meaning for Dodge because his son Riley is the starting quarterback.

"It was tough to leave Carroll," Dodge said. "I am very proud of what we have built. I was proud of being part of a place that had great tradition."

UNT officials believe Dodge will help establish a winning legacy with a high-powered passing offense he installed at Carroll and used in his first stint with the Mean Green. UNT used a run-based offense under Dickey.

Former UNT quarterback Mitch Maher played two seasons under Dodge and went on to become the Mean Green's all-time passing leader and a member of the school's Athletic Hall of Fame.

"Coach Dodge was a great teacher, motivator and an intense competitor," Maher said. "His attitude made him fun to play for."

Dodge met with UNT players briefly after the news conference.

"I am really excited," receiver Brandon Jackson said. "It's a great opportunity for the guys on the team to make plays. I am a receiver, so you know I want to see the ball in the air. It will bring a lot more excitement to the team. More people will come and watch us."

The opportunity to build a winner on the college level was too attractive for Dodge to pass up, especially after he built Carroll into a national powerhouse.

"Being wanted was the first thing that attracted me to this job," Dodge said. "We have accomplished all we could at Carroll and had the chance to coach my son."

E-mail bvito@dentonrc.com

TODD DODGE

Age: 43

Family: Wife, Elizabeth; son, Riley; daughter, Molly.

Coaching experience: Southlake Carroll coach, 2000-present; Keller Fossil Ridge coach, 1998-2000; Newman Smith coach, 1996-98; Cameron Yoe coach, 1994-96; passing game coordinator- quarter- backs/wide receivers coach North Texas, 1992-93; offensive coordinator McKinney High School, 1988-92; quarterbacks/ receivers coach Rockwall, 1987-88.

Coaching honors: Schutt Sports National Coach of the Year, 2005; USA Today National Coach of the Year, 2004.

Team accomplishments: Carroll won the USA Today national championship in 2004, the Prepnation.com national title in 2005 and is 77-1 since 2002.

Playing experience: Four-year letterman at quarterback at Texas, ranks ninth all time at UT with 2,791 passing yards.

Talking about Dodge: "For someone who has followed Todd's accomplishments for the past few years, I would say he is a coach who knows how to put together a successful operation and compete at a high level for an extended period of time. He has built a team and a philosophy that has staying power. In my personal dealings with him, I was impressed with his knowledge of the game, his dedication to the profession and his desire to succeed." – Cowboys coach Bill Parcells

Brett Vito