North Texas Coach Todd Dodge Wouldn't Have His Son

gangrene · October 10, 2010

North Texas coach Todd Dodge Wouldn't Have His Son Play For Him Again

[url="http://sportsblogs.star-telegram.com/colleges/2010/10/northtexas-coach-todd-dodge-wouldnt-have-his-son-play-for-him-again.html#ixzz11vuCF8wc"]

KRAM1 · October 10, 2010

Classy response from a class act as a father, as a coach and as a human being. Say what you want about his tenure here at UNT, but he is a fine man and one that I would have been proud to call "coach".

...and friend!

Edited October 10, 2010 by KRAM1

NCMeanGreen · October 10, 2010

Well, frankly, does not seem like he has to worry about that after this season...

Mean Green Matt · October 10, 2010

What a classy guy. It really is too bad that he has not had the success on the field that we all expected, because ouside of that, he has been even better than we could have asked for with representing the program.

rcade · October 10, 2010

What a classy guy. It really is too bad that he has not had the success on the field that we all expected, because ouside of that, he has been even better than we could have asked for with representing the program.

People who think Dodge has always been classy at UNT need to read about the Dickey recruit whose scholarship was not honored. The kid didn't even get a call from Dodge. His coach is still pissed off about it. When Dodge goes back to high school where he belongs, I hope their teams meet.

Denia Park Pedro · October 10, 2010

People who think Dodge has always been classy at UNT need to read about the Dickey recruit whose scholarship was not honored. The kid didn't even get a call from Dodge. His coach is still pissed off about it. When Dodge goes back to high school where he belongs, I hope their teams meet.

I worked with a guy that was one of Dodge's assistants pre Southlake. He thought that he was going to be fired and started looking for another job, then Dodge tells him he won't be fired, he gets offered a job by another school and turns it down thinking that his current job is safe only to be fired by Dodge before the end of the school year. Classy guy indeed.

KingDL1 · October 10, 2010

People who think Dodge has always been classy at UNT need to read about the Dickey recruit whose scholarship was not honored. The kid didn't even get a call from Dodge. His coach is still pissed off about it. When Dodge goes back to high school where he belongs, I hope their teams meet.

This happens quite a bit when schools have coaching changes, good, bad or otherwise. The new HC needs players that will fit into his system and has a very limited number of scholarships to work with. I don't blame Dodge or any coach for that matter in this situation.

The Fake Lonnie Finch · October 10, 2010

Dodge isn't going back to high school. He'll have no problem getting a job as an assistant somewhere in FBS, if he wants. Despite his poor showing as a head coach, others in the professional still think well enough of him.

He's got something; he just vastly misjudged the differences in the way you run a high school team and a college team. He'd be fine coaching a smaller group of players at this level.

stebo · October 10, 2010

What a contrast to the Dickey ramblings when the writing was on the wall. Dodge is taking full responsibility, completely accepting that the job is (in the end) about winning football games, and NOT bad mouthing the school or the AD. I remember reading crap in the paper every week before and after the DD firing about what a miserable job the NT coaching gig was, how the admin was impossible to work for, how it was the "toughest football coaching job in the entire country" and so on and so on.

Hell, I am sick of losing but I would really love to just reassign Dodge for his final year. We will have to pay him anyway. Reassign him to some QB coach or even something in the AD office - or maybe raising funds for the stadium - or put him on the radio. People have joked and called Dodge the Vic Trilli of football. You know, that is actually a pretty good comparison - and should be taken as a compliment. Tik Vanilla went on to be an Athletic Director at another college and is doing just fine. Dodge really knows how to say the right things.

eulessismore · October 10, 2010

Dodge isn't going back to high school. He'll have no problem getting a job as an assistant somewhere in FBS, if he wants. Despite his poor showing as a head coach, others in the professional still think well enough of him.

He's got something; he just vastly misjudged the differences in the way you run a high school team and a college team. He'd be fine coaching a smaller group of players at this level.

I think that history would bear you out on this one. One of the other coaches with a terrible record at North Texas, Rod Rust (although he had a great first year with the recruits of his predecessor), went on to become a defensive coordinator for a couple of NFL teams, I believe.

cdizzle86 · October 10, 2010

My sisters, boyfriends, brother-in-laws, nephew wanted to play for Dodge, but Dodge wouldn't let him because he was a ginger.

letsgiveacheer · October 10, 2010

I think that history would bear you out on this one. One of the other coaches with a terrible record at North Texas, Rod Rust (although he had a great first year with the recruits of his predecessor), went on to become a defensive coordinator for a couple of NFL teams, I believe.

Actually, he went on to be a NFL head coach albeit briefly.

The Fake Lonnie Finch · October 10, 2010

Rust was a good defensive coordinator in the NFL. Helped take the New England Patriots to their first Super Bowl back in the mid-80s.

Green Mean · October 10, 2010

I wouldn't be opposed to reassigning him for the purposes of fund raising, PR etc. He's not a bad guy but certainly over matched as a FBS head coach at this point. I think he is so whipped right now that he will want to take a year or two off form coaching and get his head right and clear everything. So it would be a nice opportunity to see if he is willing to be apart of NT athletics in some capacity.

rcade · October 10, 2010

This happens quite a bit when schools have coaching changes, good, bad or otherwise. The new HC needs players that will fit into his system and has a very limited number of scholarships to work with. I don't blame Dodge or any coach for that matter in this situation.

It doesn't happen that often. Schools usually honor the commitments, particularly at programs like UNT that struggle in recruiting. I challenge you to look at Dodge's first recruiting class and tell me there wasn't room for this athlete.

But even if you buy the premise that it is a common practice, Dodge didn't call the kid or his parents. The kid's coach had to call repeatedly to find out.

It was a completely sorry-ass move.

Green P1 · October 10, 2010

As per the original topic, I can only assume the feeling is mutual.

stebo · October 10, 2010

It doesn't happen that often. Schools usually honor the commitments, particularly at programs like UNT that struggle in recruiting. I challenge you to look at Dodge's first recruiting class and tell me there wasn't room for this athlete.

But even if you buy the premise that it is a common practice, Dodge didn't call the kid or his parents. The kid's coach had to call repeatedly to find out.

It was a completely sorry-ass move.

Come on man, that was 5 years ago. Dodge probably didn't even make that decision. I am sure that RV told him - we want as little to do with Dickey ball as possible, rid us of this poison. The guy did end up going to play somewhere else (I think it was West Texas State?)... Dodge had his hands full with trying to figure out how to become a college football coach, he has one bad PR move from his first month on the job - i will never count the pot smoking and "racism" stuff as a Dodge problem... those were problems that Dodge FIXED when he came to town - I think we can cut him some slack. You have no idea how out of control this program was, unfortunately we lost a life because it was so out of control. He is about to be fired and he is choosing to take the high road when talking about his employer - that is integrity bro. He is taking responsibility for what a head coach should - the W's and L's. And there was no way to tell how many kids would show up from that first recruiting class. Hindsight is definitely 20/20 but is it really neccesary to be bitter about every aspect of Dodge? Outside of the wins and losses, he is a very good man. You can say a lot of things about him - but don't try to take his good name from him.

Edited October 10, 2010 by stebo

KingDL1 · October 10, 2010

It doesn't happen that often. Schools usually honor the commitments, particularly at programs like UNT that struggle in recruiting. I challenge you to look at Dodge's first recruiting class and tell me there wasn't room for this athlete.

But even if you buy the premise that it is a common practice, Dodge didn't call the kid or his parents. The kid's coach had to call repeatedly to find out.

It was a completely sorry-ass move.

Do you know these people are you sure it was as one sided as your describe. Do you know for sure that Dodge made no attempt to contact these people, or one of his staff? Or is that just what they reported? I am just playing devils advocate. Things are rarely that one sided, and maybe he did slip between the cracks.

CaribbeanGreen · October 10, 2010

Come on man, that was 5 years ago. Dodge probably didn't even make that decision. I am sure that RV told him - we want as little to do with Dickey ball as possible, rid us of this poison.

If true, that would make it all the more insane that Dodge was pretty immediately rehiring Dickey assistants and was starting Dickey players all over the field throughout his entire tenure. I highly doubt Insall was cut for that reason.

gangrene · October 10, 2010

I think that history would bear you out on this one. One of the other coaches with a terrible record at North Texas, Rod Rust (although he had a great first year with the recruits of his predecessor), went on to become a defensive coordinator for a couple of NFL teams, I believe.

Matt Simon is another former UNT HC that went on to have success in the NFL, winning a Super Bowl with the Baltimore Ravens in 2000, as the RB coach. I had to look up the details and, according to Wikipedia, Simon is now serving as HC for the Gilmour Academy Lancers (7-12) and teaching 7th grade PE. Another interesting note about Simon; he served as Dennis Francione's OC at New Mexico.

jimbob · October 10, 2010

Dodge is just a football coach with the arrogance knocked out of him. The AD needs to reassign him now so we can start to move forward. The clock mismanagement was all on Canales, but it happens to coaches in the heat of the game. Look at Andy Reid. I would ask why we're not going for broke more often; we have nothing to lose. Anyone ever heard of a fake punt?

stebo · October 10, 2010

Dodge is just a football coach with the arrogance knocked out of him. The AD needs to reassign him now so we can start to move forward. The clock mismanagement was all on Canales, but it happens to coaches in the heat of the game. Look at Andy Reid. I would ask why we're not going for broke more often; we have nothing to lose. Anyone ever heard of a fake punt?

Excellent post

eulessismore · October 10, 2010

Dodge is just a football coach with the arrogance knocked out of him. The AD needs to reassign him now so we can start to move forward. The clock mismanagement was all on Canales, but it happens to coaches in the heat of the game. Look at Andy Reid. I would ask why we're not going for broke more often; we have nothing to lose. Anyone ever heard of a fake punt?

Not quite getting that. Isn't Canales up in the pressbox? I thought clock management was almost always a head coach responsibility.

eulessismore · October 10, 2010

People who think Dodge has always been classy at UNT need to read about the Dickey recruit whose scholarship was not honored. The kid didn't even get a call from Dodge. His coach is still pissed off about it. When Dodge goes back to high school where he belongs, I hope their teams meet.

I've been thinking for a while that this topic has been worn out, although Dodge could have handled it better. It does point out a real problem in recruiting, since, as already pointed out, it is typical for newly hired head coaches NOT to honor previous commitments. If everyone is already (safely enough) betting Dodge will not be here as HC after the end of the season, it makes it easy for potential recruits to avoid committing to North Texas. A guy in our office had a son who had committed to a PAC school a couple of years back. When the HC at that school got fired, my coworker was doing his best to get the son to get in touch with other schools. Sure enough, that offer was not honored.

VideoEagle · October 10, 2010

I've been thinking for a while that this topic has been worn out, although Dodge could have handled it better. It does point out a real problem in recruiting, since, as already pointed out, it is typical for newly hired head coaches NOT to honor previous commitments. If everyone is already (safely enough) betting Dodge will not be here as HC after the end of the season, it makes it easy for potential recruits to avoid committing to North Texas. A guy in our office had a son who had committed to a PAC school a couple of years back. When the HC at that school got fired, my coworker was doing his best to get the son to get in touch with other schools. Sure enough, that offer was not honored.

Didn't SMU has a bureaucratic mix up last year with telling not one but two or three recruits they were not going to be accepted? And that mix up happened just weeks before the start of classes making it extremely difficult for those guys to find a college at all.