Football: Unt Vows Not To Be Sacked By Blitz Of Media Attention

[NT80]

Football: UNT vows not to be sacked by blitz of media attention

08:48 AM CDT on Friday, August 31, 2007

By Brett Vito / Staff Writer

Back when he was building a dynasty at Southlake Carroll, Todd Dodge was not only the Dragons' head coach, he was also the sports information director, director of football operations and team secretary.

Dodge has a small army of assistants to handle those chores now that he has taken over at North Texas, which has been a welcome change because of the avalanche of media attention the Mean Green is dealing with heading into its season opener Saturday at Oklahoma.

UNT has enjoyed an unprecedented wave of publicity since Dodge's arrival that is reaching a peak heading into Saturday's game against nationally ranked Oklahoma in Norman.

Dodge was one of the most successful high school coaches in the country and is among the more intriguing stories nationally heading into the college football season because of the unheard-of jump he is making to the college level.

"It's surprising," Dodge said of the level of attention UNT has received. "But it's good for our university and our kids. It can only help us in recruiting because it makes us a little more visible."

National publications like Sports Illustrated, ESPN The Magazine and USA Today, along with dozens of other newspapers and television stations, have traveled to Denton for a moment of Dodge's time. That attention has forced Dodge and his players to adjust.

Practices and scrimmages that were open under former head coach Darrell Dickey have been closed to the public and the media. The UNT media relations department has juggled dozens of requests for Dodge's time and UNT's players have had to learn to deal with more attention.

"It has been busier than in any time that I have been here," said UNT media relations director Eric Capper, who is in his seventh year at the school. "We have always gotten a lot of interest the week of the Oklahoma game, but the interest nationally has made it even more challenging. Coach Dodge has had five or six interviews with people from out of town a day, and it has been that way every day for two weeks."

The attention UNT has received this week is the culmination of a gradual buildup in the offseason.

A crowd of 5,000 attended UNT's spring game and 600 fans packed the deck at the Mean Green Athletic Center for the team's annual Kickoff Cookout.

"The fans that came to the spring game show that people want to come and see what coach Dodge is about, but we are here to play football and stay on task," UNT senior linebacker Brandon Monroe said. "We don't worry about the attention. The coaching staff has helped us maintain focus."

There are few coaches who know better the effect the media can have on players, and specifically quarterbacks, than Dodge, who played quarterback for the University of Texas from 1981-85.

The Longhorns finished a combined 15-8-1 in the final two seasons of Dodge's career, when he endured criticism from fans and the media that helped shape his approach as a coach. Dodge limited access to freshman quarterback Giovanni Vizza at the beginning of fall practice.

"At high schools in Texas, and especially in college, players are hanging out there sometimes," Dodge said. "I try to make sure that we protect them as much as we can. They understand that there will be media scrutiny, but we don't want to throw each other under the bus in the media. I will never try to motivate my kids through the media."

For now, UNT is trying to use all the extra attention it has received as a way to promote the opening of the Dodge era while remaining focused.

"I don't worry about focus with this team because the media is nothing for us to focus on," senior defensive end Blake Burruss said. "Coach Dodge has us focused on the prize and has set goals that we are trying to achieve. That is where our eyes are."

Briefly …

Sophomore tackle Robert Peachey did not practice on Thursday. Dodge said earlier in the week that he was holding out hope that Peachey would be ready in time to play against Oklahoma.

[PerryG2480]

Any word on when the Sports Illustrated article will come out?

[NTPhiKap99]

Any word on when the Sports Illustrated article will come out?

If we beat OU I'd say we'll have the cover next week.