COVER STORY: DODGE BALL

jperg2 · December 13, 2006

SOURCE: http://www.quickdfw.com/sports/stories/DN-...n1.3e8ad8f.html

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DENTON — Todd Dodge was hired as the football coach at North Texas yesterday, making the rare jump from high school to Division I-A after an unprecedented run of success at Southlake Carroll.

Dodge, a former University of Texas quarterback, has coached Carroll to a 77-1 record in Class 5A. The Dragons have won 46 consecutive games and are two wins from their third consecutive state title and fourth in five years. They are the only school to win a state title in their first year in Class 5A.

Dodge was the offensive coordinator at UNT in 1992-93 before returning to high school football. He replaces Darrell Dickey, who was fired midway through a 3-9 season. UNT ranked near the bottom of I-A in total offense, scoring offense and passing offense the last two seasons.

“I feel like we can come in and be successful,” Dodge said. “It has really to do with selling the players about what can be done and teaching. There’s good football players here.”

North Texas has 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. Dodge, 43, lost his first three games at Carroll,

but he’s 96-8 since.

DMN, wire reports