DRC Dodge waiting to fill out staff

OldTimer · December 14, 2006

Dodge waiting to fill out staff

Carroll assistants could end up at UNT

12:11 AM CST on Thursday, December 14, 2006

By Brandon George/The Dallas Morning News

SOUTHLAKE -- Todd Dodge could bring some familiar faces with him to North Texas from Southlake Carroll.

Dodge was introduced as the Mean Green's 16th head coach on Tuesday, when he said he would work to put together a coaching staff in the next few weeks. That process appears as if it could take a while.

Dodge said Wednesday that he hasn’t talked to anyone about joining his staff at UNT. In fact, Dodge said he doesn’t plan to do anything for the Mean Green until Carroll’s season has ended.

“I’m going to give my full 100 percent attention to these kids here – they deserve that,” Dodge said. “Now, will I doodle on paper on some names of who potential assistants could be and will I know who to call, well, I won’t say I won’t do that. But I won’t do a bunch of interviews or stuff like that.”

Dodge said he would consider bringing his coordinators at Carroll with him to UNT. Todd Ford is Carroll’s offensive coordinator and Ron Mendoza is Carroll’s defensive coordinator. Ford and Mendoza could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

Ford is the former offensive coordinator at Flower Mound Marcus and Keller. This is his third season at Carroll. Mendoza was promoted from Carroll linebackers coach to the defensive coordinator in 2004. Mendoza was the defensive coordinator at South Grand Prairie under former coach David Thompson in the late 1990s.

Haltom coach Clayton George is a likely candidate to join Dodge at UNT. George, 35, played under Dodge at UNT from 1992 to 1993, when Dodge was an assistant coach with the Mean Green, and coached under Dodge from 1996 to 2004. George, Carroll’s offensive coordinator from 2000-2003, coached Hillcrest for two seasons before taking the Haltom job this year.

George was UNT's leading receiver in 1992, catching 36 passes for 563 yards and two touchdowns.

“I would be very honored and flattered to work with Coach Dodge again if that opportunity presented itself,” George said. “I’ve always stated that he’s the sole reason I’m in coaching. He’s been a mentor to me. I got to play and work for him, and you can’t beat that.”

runt96 · December 14, 2006

Uh Oh Is that a Ford i see.

chrisfisher · December 14, 2006

I really like that we will potentially have several coaches on staff that have a true love for UNT because of their prior coaching or playing experiences.

emmitt01 · December 14, 2006

Is anyone else a little worried by this? A few weeks to start talking to a staff? This is fertile recruiting time.

TIgreen01 · December 14, 2006

Where are these supposed "experienced" college assistants that some claimed he'd bring with him??

BIG DAWG · December 14, 2006

Is anyone a tad worried about having a majority HS staff???

Don't get me wrong, my trust is in Dodge, but I try to look from an unbiased angle sometimes.

We will see!

meangreendork · December 14, 2006

Just don't get rid of the current productive staff (ie: Bleil) and we're good to go. I'd be mad if Brewster were tossed as he really did an outstanding job with the Green team this fall.

Edited December 14, 2006 by meangreendork

UNTLifer · December 14, 2006

I like the fact that these are young, energetic coaches that are also known for their football knowledge and passion towards teaching the game.

DeepGreen · December 14, 2006

I'm a little concerned here. Recruiting was put on hold, what, two weeks ago. And now we are waiting for Southlake's season to end? C'mon, we need some allegiance to North Texas. Start interviewing the current staff, keep a few so that we can get the recruiting ball rolling.

PerryG2480 · December 14, 2006

Maybe the high schoolers were right...this might not be too bad if true. These guys coached as a unit, keep that in mind.

GreenTiger_OriginalAcct · December 14, 2006

Guys, put on your thinking hats here. He has a season to finish. Even if he is not going bring along his assistants from SLC, do you think he would say so now and make a tough sitiuation even tougher by possibly ticking off people.

Dodge is saying all the right things to win NOW at SLC. Let him win there, then give him a chance to win here.

GoMeanGreen1999 · December 14, 2006

I wouldn't be too worried about the staff. I think Dodge has a pretty good idea of what he is doing, and as GreenTiger said, he made it clear that for right not, he is focused on winning saturday. He will be full throttle come Dec. 23 you count on it. Harry posted a link to a high school discussion board on the Rivals network. It is definately worth the read about Dodge.

As far as recruiting goes, just toss out this year. What I mean is, don't expect much and then if we get some good ones, great, but if not, it's okay. Yes it is going to take some time, but Dodge probably will get a couple of good recruits just because he is Dodge.

It will all be fine. I don't believe he will have an all high school staff.

PlummMeanGreen · December 14, 2006

2 more UIL Texas HS play-off games as deep into the play-offs as the SLC Dragons are can also be a plus.

Those 2 games (assuming the other green team coached by Dodge gets to the championship game) will be broadcast on radio with the last one on statewide television; anyone else think this might be said a few times on those broadcasts: "Todd Dodge, the new HFC at the University of North Texas?"

I, too, am concerned about too many HS coaches as assistants; but I will also defer to the "In Todd We Trust" saying one of you has so cleverly started on GoMeanGreen.com

I do hope the defensive coordinator has the college background thing going for him, though.

We all want this thing to succeed so much up at UNT that I guess its such things as all this we've been discussing that has us a bit nervous?

I think Coach Dodd would understand where those of us who have been wandering in the "low profile" NCAA D1 wilderness for so long are coming from; as well as all you newbies who are now on the groundfloor of something that could even take us beyond the Hayden Fry era high profile successes if we play our cards right in Denton, Texas, America.

Another upside at UNT (and there are many) is we still have that tremendous reservoir of potential UNT fans who live not so far from Fouts Field (starting with the largest residential campus this side of UT-Austin); also not so far from the the Mean Green Village and our future new NCAA D1-A football stadium (palace?) from which to draw so many new Mean Green fans.

Edited December 14, 2006 by PlummMeanGreen

Green Crazy · December 14, 2006

2 more UIL Texas HS play-off games as deep into the play-offs as the SLC Dragons are can also be a plus.
Those 2 games (assuming the other green team coached by Dodge gets to the championship game) will be broadcast on radio with the last one on statewide television; anyone else think this might be said a few times on those broadcasts: "Todd Dodge, the new HFC at the University of North Texas?"
I, too, am concerned about too many HS coaches as assistants; but I will also defer to the "In Dodd We Trust" saying one of you has so cleverly started on GoMeanGreen.com
I do hope the defensive coordinator has the college background thing going for him, though.
We all want this thing to succeed so much up at UNT that I guess its such things as all this we've been discussing that has us a bit nervous?
I think Coach Dodd would understand where those of us who have been wandering in the "low profile" NCAA D1 wilderness for so long are coming from; as well as all you newbies who are now on the groundfloor of something that could even take us beyond the Hayden Fry era high profile successes if we play our cards right in Denton, Texas, America.
Another upside at UNT (and there are many) is we still have that tremendous reservoir of potential UNT fans who live not so far from Fouts Field (starting with the largest residential campus this side of UT-Austin); also not so far from the the Mean Green Village and our future new NCAA D1-A football stadium (palace?) from which to draw so many new Mean Green fans.
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Why are you calling him Dodd? Is this Bobby Ray?

The Fake Lonnie Finch · December 14, 2006

Is anyone else a little worried by this? A few weeks to start talking to a staff? This is fertile recruiting time.
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Yes. SMU and TCU are recruiting the area daily. We are sitting on our hands waiting for a high school football season to end.

UNTLifer · December 14, 2006

Why are you calling him Dodd? Is this Bobby Ray?
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PMG's true identity revealed!!!

The Fake Lonnie Finch · December 14, 2006

Is anyone a tad worried about having a majority HS staff???
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Yes. Inasmuch as we are not playing any high school teams next year, it's worrisome. You'd like to have some guys who have schemed versus other Division I-A schools...

...or not.

If not, this will indeed be a grand experiment all the way around.

PlummMeanGreen · December 14, 2006

PMG's true identity revealed!!!
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Just seeing if some of you would catch it?

or...................Senior Moment?

Hey! Wait till some of yall turn middle age, dammitt!

I will now go correct it!

Hellsbells! Now I'm acting like Bobby Ray!

Edited December 14, 2006 by PlummMeanGreen

GreenEddieNT · December 14, 2006

Yes. SMU and TCU are recruiting the area daily. We are sitting on our hands waiting for a high school football season to end.
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Not just SMU and TCU, every other school in Texas plus many who are not in Texas also recruit the DFW area heavily.

SilverEagle · December 14, 2006

I've been looking at the ST's top 50 list, and it looks as if there is no recruitment going on by any school. In the receiver catagory alone, there is only one that lists a school (UTEP and UNT)... the rest are "undecided". I've never seen this many "undecided" players at any stage of the recruitment process.

http://dfwvarsity.star-telegram.com/FootBa...Recruiting.asp#

PlummMeanGreen · December 14, 2006

I've been looking at the ST's top 50 list, and it looks as if there is no recruitment going on by any school. In the receiver catagory alone, there is only one that lists a school (UTEP and UNT)... the rest are "undecided". I've never seen this many "undecided" players at any stage of the recruitment process.
http://dfwvarsity.star-telegram.com/FootBa...Recruiting.asp#
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And Bill, for UNT and Todd Dodge.........this is good news.

FireFightnJoey · December 14, 2006

I've been looking at the ST's top 50 list, and it looks as if there is no recruitment going on by any school. In the receiver catagory alone, there is only one that lists a school (UTEP and UNT)... the rest are "undecided". I've never seen this many "undecided" players at any stage of the recruitment process.
http://dfwvarsity.star-telegram.com/FootBa...Recruiting.asp#
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They are all waiting to see what Dodge does ...

raygogreen · December 14, 2006

Yes. Inasmuch as we are not playing any high school teams next year, it's worrisome. You'd like to have some guys who have schemed versus other Division I-A schools...
...or not.
If not, this will indeed be a grand experiment all the way around.
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Well, sometimes you just don't know what you just don't know. But what I can surmise is this:

> Dodge probably cannot legally hire staff since he is still employed at SLC

> Dodge does not want to fail, especially this close to home and leaving a sure thing behind. I doubt he made this choice in a vacuum without studying the existing player pool and prospects for quickly augmenting needs. I assume he sees what I think many of us see, a UNT team with more talent than is apparent-they just quit on Dickey (as evident from the "Green Team" performance). As a longtime Southlake resident, I can see formation in the future using Tune at QB and simultaneous receiver/running back core of some combe of Jackson, Fitzgerald, Jamario, Robertson, Seidle, and Wilson (yes, Woody, ala Randall El from the Steelers Super Bowl team).

> If he intends on coaching his son at UNT, I am certain he is already scouring the countryside for offensive lineman and receivers and has a good idea what is available through his network of HS coaches.

> I think Dodge astutely analyzed the SLC situation and why it was postiioned for ongoing success-basically a city with resources where all players are funnelled to a single HS. While UNT does not have that, I'm certain he sees a rising tide at UNT and intends to ride the wave (student growth, population growth, and better economics for the region than in any time since the 1970's-no small point for raising money)

GreenEddieNT · December 14, 2006

Yes. Inasmuch as we are not playing any high school teams next year, it's worrisome. You'd like to have some guys who have schemed versus other Division I-A schools...
...or not.
If not, this will indeed be a grand experiment all the way around.
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Well, he can't do any worse than Darrell Dickey. The biggest adjustment is that at SLC he had the edge in resources over just about any opponent. At UNT he's coaching at a school that matches up well against the other Sun Belters but does not have an overwhelming advantage if any advantage at all. I think that if he's as good a coach as advertised he can at least get back to the level where we would compete for the Sun Belt championship every year. The problem he or any other UNT coach will encounter is when he faces schools in the other leagues who can attract better players due to not being in the Sun Belt and having better facilities and more name recognition. That and the fact that UNT's fan base is naturally limited by being in the Sun Belt and having to compete for fans and attention with a myriad of things in DFW. That's why it is an apples to oranges comparison to us and a school like Boise State(since that's a school some like to compare us to). Boise State rules the roost in its city and by now is probably the athletics flagship of the whole state of Idaho. If they do anything at all they are going to be the toast of the town or the state because they have little if any competition, let alone STRONG competition like we do. They are also in a more highly regarded conference with better teams and they already have better facilities plus the plans and the money to further upgrade them. Our location is truly more of a hindrance than asset because we're low on the totem pole in the minds of most people, especially being in the Sun Belt. Sure there are a lot of good players in this area and this state but there is also a lot of competition for them and a Sun Belt school with average-to-bad facilities and not much of a fan base is not the first choice for any of the good ones. If there were a law that would force the local players to play for the local universities, and for UNT in particular, we'd be sitting pretty.

The Fake Lonnie Finch · December 14, 2006

Well, he can't do any worse than Darrell Dickey. The biggest adjustment is that at SLC he had the edge in resources over just about any opponent. At UNT he's coaching at a school that matches up well against the other Sun Belters but does not have an overwhelming advantage if any advantage at all. I think that if he's as good a coach as advertised he can at least get back to the level where we would compete for the Sun Belt championship every year. The problem he or any other UNT coach will encounter is when he faces schools in the other leagues who can attract better players due to not being in the Sun Belt and having better facilities and more name recognition. That and the fact that UNT's fan base is naturally limited by being in the Sun Belt and having to compete for fans and attention with a myriad of things in DFW. That's why it is an apples to oranges comparison to us and a school like Boise State(since that's a school some like to compare us to). Boise State rules the roost in its city and by now is probably the athletics flagship of the whole state of Idaho. If they do anything at all they are going to be the toast of the town or the state because they have little if any competition, let alone STRONG competition like we do. They are also in a more highly regarded conference with better teams and they already have better facilities plus the plans and the money to further upgrade them. Our location is truly more of a hindrance than asset because we're low on the totem pole in the minds of most people, especially being in the Sun Belt. Sure there are a lot of good players in this area and this state but there is also a lot of competition for them and a Sun Belt school with average-to-bad facilities and not much of a fan base is not the first choice for any of the good ones. If there were a law that would force the local players to play for the local universities, and for UNT in particular, we'd be sitting pretty.
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Agreed. I think that's why Darrell Dickey sometimes went north to Oklahoma for guys like Kevin Galbreath, Patrick Cobbs, and Michael Thrash.