Dodge Playing Catch Up

DeepGreen · January 17, 2007

Dodge pedaling as fast as he can in recruiting race

Bob West column for Wednesday, Jan 17

The Port Arthur News

Todd Dodge is pretty sure the day will come when he’ll have time to kick back and reflect on the truly monumental feat of going 79-1 and winning four 5A state championships in the span of five years at Southlake Carroll. He’s dead sure it won’t be any time soon.

Dodge, in the 25 days since his Dragons came from behind to defeat Austin Westlake for that fourth championship ring, has been playing a furious game of catch-up as the new head coach at the University of North Texas. The earliest he’ll be able to come up for air is Feb. 8 — the day after national signing day.

“I’ve been busy, but it’s a good busy,” he said from somewhere on the road between Waco and Denton. “My AD keeps telling me he can’t believe what we’ve gotten accomplished in such a short time, but all I can see is what still has to be done.”

Atop the list, of course, is signing the 20 players who will form his first Mean Green recruiting class. For someone who spotted the competition about 80 yards in a 100-yard race, the former TJ All-America feels like he’s gained a lot of ground.

One of Dodge’s many recruiting positives is that North Texas’ primary positon of need just happens to be wide receiver. Can anybody who’s been paying attention to his star wars attack at Southlake Carroll imagine a receiver not wanting to be a part of the man’s offense?

“For getting such a late start, we think we’re in on some pretty good ones,” confides the star pupil of Memorial coach Ronnie Thompson. “It would have been nice to get an earlier start, but it is what is. To us, it’s early in recruiting. But for recruits it’s late and a lot of them have already made up their minds.”

To put the mountain Dodge is climbing in perspective, bear in mind that his first day on the job at North Texas was Dec. 26. And, before he could think about recruiting it was necessary to hire a coaching staff, then try to get a handle on the returning players.

The staff, heavy with assistants from Southlake and without any coach at UNT last year, is in place. Player evaluations have been made as best they could under the circumstances. With school having been out for the holidays, Dodge didn’t even get to meet with his players for the first time until Tuesday afternoon.

So how exactly did Todd begin the catch-up process in recruiting? Other schools, after all, boast sophisticated recruiting networks, have long since identified the players they want and are well into the courtship process.

UNT, meanwhile, hadn’t made a contact when the calendar flipped over to 2007.

“A lot of it’s common sense,” Dodge said. “Our starting point was scouting reports from the 16 teams we played at Southlake. Then we started to brainstorm on all the great friends in high school coaching all of us have and could call for recommendations. Those guys have been a tremendous help.”

Dodge admitted that the infomercial of a regionally televised state championship game in late December was quite a boost, as far as getting the attention of potential recruits. Especially since most of those players know Todd and his Dragons have long been the gold standard in Texas schoolboy football.

“No question, that has been a blessing,” he said. “I think the players, the parents and the coaches have seen us up close and personal, know what we do and what we’re about. That gets their attention. Then the biggest thing is selling people on the intangibles of how we did what we did five years in a row.

“Yes, we had good players who were efficient at what they did. But to win that much means a big part of it was the family atmosphere, the relationships and the unselfishness that was part of our program. I think that’s a strong selling point for kids and parents.”

Dodge said his primary recruiting target has to be the talent-laden Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. But he and his staff, relying on high school contacts, will go anywhere in Texas to try and woo players who fit their system. Southeast Texas, an area where good players seem to fly more and more under the recruiting radar, is a place where the new UNT boss expects to do well. The first example of that is likely to be Nederland’s Micah Mosley, a terrific talent who has only gotten a few recruiting nibbles.

“I played down there and I know what a hotbed of talent it was,” he said. “From what I have been told, it’s become one of the most under-recruited parts of the state. I guess it’s not as convenient to go in there as some of the cities.

“All I can tell you for sure is that opens the door for North Texas. We’ll be coming in often. I’m hoping to get down there myself later this month.”

Dodge, meanwhile, said he’s had no second thoughts about leaving his quarterback son Riley behind for his senior season at Southlake Carroll.

“I’ll only be 17 miles away and I expect to see most of his games,” Dodge said. “We were together for three years. How it played out this year, with us winning the state championship and him being the 5A Player of the Year sure helped. There really isn’t a lot more we could do.

“Riley told me he was proud of me and knew the North Texas job was a great opportunity. He thought I should take it. That made the decision a lot easier. That and what the move means to our family financially.”

So the architect of what arguably was the greatest dynasty in the history of Texas high school football moved on to the next challenge. Southlake Carroll’s loss is an incredible gain for what has long been a wannabe Division 1 power from college football’s second tier.

Move over Boise State, you are about to have company.

Dodge Artcle

Harry · January 17, 2007

Wow great article and nice find Deep. I know you have to be excited coming from that area and knowing that Dodge will give it proper attention.

PlummMeanGreen · January 17, 2007

I love that article! Thanks for posting it, Deep Green!

You know, we all need to (still) keep a perspective that UNT Coach Dodge and his staff are not recruiting many kids DD and his former staff had been AND.............that we did not hire Knute Rockne (yet) as our coach and while many of our recruiting opponents have been contacting many of these kids with the intensity of all that really beginning their junior years in all the various Texas high schools; yet our football coaching staff only began their efforts just a mere few weeks ago.

I think Coach Dodge will get a good class this year, but next year.................WATCH OUT! THEY WILL HAVE HAD A YEAR TO COMMUNICATE WITH THOSE TEXAS HS RECRUITS WHO WILL BE FINISHING THEIR JUNIOR YEARS IN A FEW MONTHS!

Isn't it simply great having a Dodge steering Mean Green football?

Edited January 17, 2007 by PlummMeanGreen

MeanGreengdub · January 17, 2007

*Move over Boise State, you are about to have company.*

Wow, that's awesome!! Great article!

DeepGreen · January 17, 2007

Wow great article and nice find Deep. I know you have to be excited coming from that area and knowing that Dodge will give it proper attention.

Bob West has been the sports editor of the PA News probably since the beginning of time and this is the most he has ever, ever written about North Texas. Including the time his son played for NT. Now if Dodge can just pick up some players from down here. Too many go off to Houston, A$M, UT, and others.

PlummMeanGreen · January 17, 2007

*Move over Boise State, you are about to have company.*
Wow, that's awesome!! Great article!

............................................YES ! ...............................................

Green Mean · January 17, 2007

Southlake Carroll’s loss is an incredible gain for what has long been a wannabe Division 1 power from college football’s second tier.
Move over Boise State, you are about to have company.
Dodge Artcle

Knee jerk reaction?

mad dog · January 17, 2007

“I’ve been busy, but it’s a good busy,” he said from somewhere on the road between Waco and Denton. “My AD keeps telling me he can’t believe what we’ve gotten accomplished in such a short time, but all I can see is what still has to be done.”

Just read that again, folks. I have never seen so much meaning packed into such a small paragraph. Look at everything we can distill from this:

1) Busy, but good busy. Not just willing to do the dirty recruiting work, but being a glutton for the punishment of hitting the road day after day.

2) "Somewhere on the road between Waco and Denton." A guy who has time for the media even in the midst of a road trip. Even if he might not be overjoyed at volunteering his time while on the road, you'd never be able to tell by the tone of his voice.

3) AD can't believe what has been accomplished in so short a period of time. Exceeding even the lofty expectations of Rick V is some trick, but TD has been able to find a way.

4) "All I can see is what still has to be done." Wow. That's the most telling statement in this whole article, to me. During the Dickey Era, we heard every week from him and the players about the next week being the most important. But I guess you just get used to hearing that kind of business-first-as-usual attitude and take it for granted. Then, all of a sudden, you see someone living it, and you realize that maybe everything you heard before wasn't quite what it appeared to be. You think, "Aha! This is what it is supposed to look like." I felt that way with Johnny Quinn, and now I feel the same way about Todd Dodge.

That, ladies and gentlemen, is sig line worthy.

Mean Green 93-98 · January 17, 2007

That, ladies and gentlemen, is sig line worthy.

And so is the below.

TIgreen01 · January 17, 2007

Just read that again, folks. I have never seen so much meaning packed into such a small paragraph. Look at everything we can distill from this:
1) Busy, but good busy. Not just willing to do the dirty recruiting work, but being a glutton for the punishment of hitting the road day after day.
2) "Somewhere on the road between Waco and Denton." A guy who has time for the media even in the midst of a road trip. Even if he might not be overjoyed at volunteering his time while on the road, you'd never be able to tell by the tone of his voice.
3) AD can't believe what has been accomplished in so short a period of time. Exceeding even the lofty expectations of Rick V is some trick, but TD has been able to find a way.
4) "All I can see is what still has to be done." Wow. That's the most telling statement in this whole article, to me. During the Dickey Era, we heard every week from him and the players about the next week being the most important. But I guess you just get used to hearing that kind of business-first-as-usual attitude and take it for granted. Then, all of a sudden, you see someone living it, and you realize that maybe everything you heard before wasn't quite what it appeared to be. You think, "Aha! This is what it is supposed to look like." I felt that way with Johnny Quinn, and now I feel the same way about Todd Dodge.
That, ladies and gentlemen, is sig line worthy.

Yep...I love the timing of this article also...with the DD hiring at Utah State, we get to see some of that same old rhetoric--but are now detached and able to hear it as outsiders. I feel sorry for the fans at USU. But every single time I hear or read anything about or quoting Todd Dodge I have hope for the future at UNT. It is an incredible difference to see the positive attitude displayed by Dodge. Thank goodness...

ForneyGreen · January 17, 2007

I just love Coach Dodge's "can-do, hard work" attitude. I think this type of attitude is a huge part of his success to this point, and it makes him a great ambassador for UNT athletics.

GMoney · January 18, 2007

“I’ve been busy, but it’s a good busy,” he said from somewhere on the road between Waco and Denton. “My AD keeps telling me he can’t believe what we’ve gotten accomplished in such a short time, but all I can see is what still has to be done.”

Of course I want wins to far exceed losses, but what I want most is a coach who is willing to work his tail off. This is the best statement you can make about a coach coming from his boss. This lets me know that Coach we hire is not trying to keep his job but is trying to do his job. Hopefully in the future we will never again see complacency slide back into the program.

NT80 · January 18, 2007

“Yes, we had good players who were efficient at what they did. But to win that much means a big part of it was the family atmosphere, the relationships and the unselfishness that was part of our program. I think that’s a strong selling point for kids and parents.”

That is the key to a Todd Dodge system. He will find player's a position, then work them until they know it in their sleep. SLC did not have the biggest or fastest players, but they had the most efficient players on the field when they played!

scotty474 · January 18, 2007

I feel 16 again and I am getting my first really big crush! I think I love TD! Great article. Go NT & go TD!

runt96 · January 18, 2007

I feel 16 again and I am getting my first really big crush! I think I love TD! Great article. Go NT & go TD!

You're at the movies, you yawn, and streetch the right arm around her and.......The best part about TD is he's POSITIVE. If we go 1-11, w/TD that is as good as we can do. However, I think we will at least have a winning record. IT'S VERY EXCITING.

LongJim · January 18, 2007

“Then we started to brainstorm on all the great friends in high school coaching all of us have and could call for recommendations. Those guys have been a tremendous help.”
"But to win that much means a big part of it was the family atmosphere, the relationships and the unselfishness that was part of our program. I think that’s a strong selling point for kids and parents.”

Very excited about the quotes above. When I read them, I thought immediately of another coach at a school down I35 who has uttered virtually the very same sentiments for the last 9 years.

Getting Texas HS coaches on board is the most important thing TD can do for the program. Parents want to know that you will take care of their sons as best you can. It's what every parent wants.

If TD can continue to build on those two aspects, there is no limit to what can be achieved at UNT.

Very very good signs.

Edited January 18, 2007 by LongJim

LongJim · January 18, 2007

And by the way--what is "Pubicity"?

EDIT:

Well dang--answered my own question:

pubicity

The visible top of a person's pubic bush when their pants or board shorts are pulled down low (without wearing underwear).

"Mark's pants were so low, he was sporting huge pubicity."

Edited January 18, 2007 by LongJim

meangreendork · January 18, 2007

I have to say (again) that I really, really like TD's attitude. He's not complaining about the fans (well, I think everyone who knows he's been hired is all for him), the facilities, or even having to attack recruiting with a late start. I know part of this is his knowing that he'll make or break his NCAA coaching career with his new job, but I also know this is part of his work ethic. Man, it's really exciting to have all of this happen now. It's a great, great time for us fans and I think it'll only get better.

DeepGreen · January 18, 2007

And by the way--what is "Pubicity"?
EDIT:
Well dang--answered my own question:
pubicity
The visible top of a person's pubic bush when their pants or board shorts are pulled down low (without wearing underwear).
"Mark's pants were so low, he was sporting huge pubicity."

Picky, picky, picky! :lol: The spelling "gastapo? is at it again. :lol:

mad dog · January 18, 2007

This lets me know that Coach we hire is not trying to keep his job but is trying to do his job.

Perfectly phrased. Excellent point.

Daddy Dumpsalot · January 18, 2007

My girlfriend is on the UNT swim team. In the mornings they work out at the same time the football team does. She told me yesterday that she saw TD in the weight room with the players while they were working out. She said in my 3.5 yrs of being on the swim team and working out, she had never seen DD with the football team in the weight room. As a result she said the football team would often goof around. By contrast, she said that TD was pushing the guys when they would get tired and encouraging them to keep going.

Nice to see a coach get his hands dirty with the players...

Zeke · January 18, 2007

My girlfriend is on the UNT swim team. In the mornings they work out at the same time the football team does. She told me yesterday that she saw TD in the weight room with the players while they were working out. She said in my 3.5 yrs of being on the swim team and working out, she had never seen DD with the football team in the weight room. As a result she said the football team would often goof around. By contrast, she said that TD was pushing the guys when they would get tired and encouraging them to keep going.
Nice to see a coach get his hands dirty with the players...

There is a lot said here. Between Recruiting and still keeping up with the current guys, he appears to be able to do it all.

NT03 · January 18, 2007

My girlfriend is on the UNT swim team. In the mornings they work out at the same time the football team does. She told me yesterday that she saw TD in the weight room with the players while they were working out. She said in my 3.5 yrs of being on the swim team and working out, she had never seen DD with the football team in the weight room. As a result she said the football team would often goof around. By contrast, she said that TD was pushing the guys when they would get tired and encouraging them to keep going.
Nice to see a coach get his hands dirty with the players...

Great to hear. Funny tho , awhile back I hammered DD by saying his players did what they wanted to do in the weight room and often times did not even work out and I got bad responses back from posters. Oh well , Things are looking brighter.

MeanGreen61 · January 18, 2007

My girlfriend is on the UNT swim team. In the mornings they work out at the same time the football team does. She told me yesterday that she saw TD in the weight room with the players while they were working out. She said in my 3.5 yrs of being on the swim team and working out, she had never seen DD with the football team in the weight room. As a result she said the football team would often goof around. By contrast, she said that TD was pushing the guys when they would get tired and encouraging them to keep going.
Nice to see a coach get his hands dirty with the players...

Where's the strength coach ? :unsure: