I would like to thank Todd Dodge again...

[The Fake Lonnie Finch]

Last year, I offered my full apology thread to Todd Dodge for making North Texas better than Penn State because he kept the program free from child molesters.

This year, I thank Todd Dodge for Derek Thompson, the best quarterback of UNT's Division I-A/FBS era since Steve Ramsey, and for Breland Chancellor, who will be UNT's next NFL draft pick, one we've waited a long time to see.

And, thank you for the rest of the Class of 2009 recruiting survivors; there were few who saw five years:
-Thompson

-Daniel Prior (who can forget his moving into the dorms video?)
-Hilbert Jackson

-Ryan Boutwell

And, thank you for the Class of 2010 seniors who stuck it out with McCarney as well:

-Richard Abbe

-Aaron Bellazin

-Brandin Byrd

-Brelan Chancellor

-Zach Olen

-Zach Orr

-Will Wright

These are all good seniors recruited by Todd Dodge, a man I hope to buy a burger at the Buda Dairy Queen for some day. He taught me that there is more to football than winning; but, winning feels good, too.

Edited September 2, 2013 by The Fake Lonnie Finch

[outoftown]

I don't know who gave that a minus 1. That is a totally ok thing to say with valid points. People may not have loved what the product looked like on the field while Dodge was here, but believe me it could have been a lot worse.

He did not leave the program in total shambles, because he kept trying and was a good person off the field and recruit, that should be woth something. If you want to know what it is to have not only but results but the total train wreck experience, please look at what Mike Lockseley did to new Mexico (who just lost at home to UTSA).

[JesseMartin]

Academics and non-mandated drug testing too. Dodge is a great guy. If our D had been relevant during his stay, he would probably still be the HFC. There was a lot of good that went on during his tenure; unfortunately, it just didn't translate into wins on the field.

[PlummMeanGreen]

I was mostly busy during his UNT coaching tenure building a new business which required many work day Saturdays, but I still say he was the one who put the UNT admininistration to task in fulfilling their promise to him when hired to have a new stadium built by 2010 (albeit was one year later and when he would no longer be UNT HFC) because he basically told Prez' B and her BOR's to git'r done. He did so in light of what most who follow college football already knew what was going on and that was a coast to coast athletic venues arm race which was also going on in Texas (and still is for those who think we can take a vacation on that subject for another 60 years).

Todd Dodge and many others knew that if we didn't get the hell out of Fouts Field it was eventually going to fall down on top of us, its power grid would continue to embarrass us and falter (as it did when electricity went out on the Baylor Bears at half time in their dressing room) and then future recruiting using Fouts Field as "recruiting fodder" which would have eventually turned into sardonic comedy at its best.

As I mostly listened to MG football en route to DJ gig sites or between musical sets and on the MGRN (when I could pick up the broadcast), it was becoming apparent to me that Todd Dodge had one of the most unlucky streaks of near wins and/or last minute losses as any NCAA coach I could remember in over 4 decades of watching or listening to NCAA football. Yet just like anyone in sales who doesn't get to keep their jobs with "almost" sales, Dodge understandably did not keep his with "almost" wins.

He was also as classy an act leaving Denton, too, as he was his first day at the UNT job unlike most others at any other college football outpost as I could recall.

Yes, he does get blame for much of our problems of which Coach Dan McCarney inherited, but Todd Dodge did not blame anyone else but himself as he rode his horse out of Denton one final time.

Edited September 2, 2013 by PlummMeanGreen

[UNT90]

If people were really gullible enough to believe the whole "smallest and slowest team in FBS football" line issued by Mac upon arrival, all they need to do is wait until we have another coach fired to here the exact same thing.

It's coach speak, buying time, and setting yourself up for all the credit if you turn it around. I would do the same thing f I were in Mac's shoes.

But it clearly wasn't true (as was evidenced by his 5-7 record his first).

But I will never buy Todd Dodge a hamburger. His complete arrogance as a coach led to massive failure on the field that set this program back 15 years.

[UNTflyer]

People may not have loved what the product looked like on the field while Dodge was here, but believe me it could have been a lot worse.

In what universe, sir?

[oldguystudent]

But I will never buy Todd Dodge a hamburger.

Sounds like "a plan."

[emmitt01]

I felt that Todd Dodge was a swell guy.*

* 13% of the time.

[Green P1]

No. Stop it.

[UNTLifer]

But I will never buy Todd Dodge a hamburger.

What about a hot dog?

[UNT90]

What about a hot dog?

Not even the cone part of a dipped cone.

Nothing.

Actually, as a UNT alum, He should be buying ME dinner after what he made me sit through. You usually get dinner before the %&*$ing, but I'll take the reverse order.

[meangreener]

These players wouldn't have been stars under Dodge's system.

Why are we applauding him? Dodge left us in the worst position in the FBS to the point of UTSA and Texas State being our equals when we should be aligned with someone like Houston.

What a joke of a thread. Dodge did nothing other than obliterate this program piece by piece. Look at our history, people are stunned to know our history because everyone thinks we suck so bad. Mostly because Dodge bottomed us out unlike any program ever (although that trainwreck in Hattiesburg is well on its way.)

Sorry, there's NOTHING to be thankful to Dodge for except that early bump in attendance/publicity during Dodgeball season 1.

[foutsrouts]

I think he's a good guy, but my love level would be much higher had he not decided to pick up and move a high school program to Denton. The experiment may have very well succeeded had he surrounded himself with veteran coaches. Hell, I'd buy him a burger. And maybe even fries on the side.

[SilverEagle]

Last year, I offered my full apology thread to Todd Dodge for making North Texas better than Penn State because he kept the program free from child molesters.

This year, I thank Todd Dodge for Derek Thompson, the best quarterback of UNT's Division I-A/FBS era since Steve Ramsey, and for Breland Chancellor, who will be UNT's next NFL draft pick, one we've waited a long time to see.

Just how many QB's have you actually seen play at NT?....starting with Steve Ramsey.

[IslandEagle]

Let's clarify this. Thompson's performance Saturday was worthy of any QB I've seen since I started watching, beginning with Billy Ryan in 1962. I still wouldn't rank him with Ramsey, Ken Washington, Jordan Case, Scott Davis, Mitch Maher or Scott Hall. Now.....if he performs the rest of the way like he did Saturday, then he would belong in that elite company for sure.

[SilverEagle]

Let's clarify this. Thompson's performance Saturday was worthy of any QB I've seen since I started watching, beginning with Billy Ryan in 1962. I still wouldn't rank him with Ramsey, Ken Washington, Jordan Case, Scott Davis, Mitch Maher or Scott Hall. Now.....if he performs the rest of the way like he did Saturday, then he would belong in that elite company for sure.

Yeah, that's the elite list that I had in mind too. Except that I would have Joe Stevenson in place of Ken Washington.

[houstonmeangreen]

Last year, I offered my full apology thread to Todd Dodge for making North Texas better than Penn State because he kept the program free from child molesters.

This year, I thank Todd Dodge for Derek Thompson, the best quarterback of UNT's Division I-A/FBS era since Steve Ramsey, and for Breland Chancellor, who will be UNT's next NFL draft pick, one we've waited a long time to see.

And, thank you for the rest of the Class of 2009 recruiting survivors; there were few who saw five years:

-Thompson

-Daniel Prior (who can forget his moving into the dorms video?)

-Hilbert Jackson

-Ryan Boutwell

And, thank you for the Class of 2010 seniors who stuck it out with McCarney as well:

-Richard Abbe

-Aaron Bellazin

-Brandin Byrd

-Brelan Chancellor

-Zach Olen

-Zach Orr

-Will Wright

These are all good seniors recruited by Todd Dodge, a man I hope to buy a burger at the Buda Dairy Queen for some day. He taught me that there is more to football than winning; but, winning feels good, too.

He taught me that there is more to football than winning winning feels good, too....Winning was not a term I was use to using when he was coach, and I almost forgot about how winning feels because he was here way too long....that said, I'm sure he is a guy of excellent character and a good man.

[SilverEagle]

If our D had been relevant during his stay, he would probably still be the HFC.

I have to agree with this. I've commented more than once that, as a coach, his biggest mistake was bringing all his HS coaching buddies over with him.....especially Mendoza.

[Green Mean]

[Rudy]

What about a hot dog?

Or a Sloppy Joe?

Dodge is gone. Let it go. Anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering, suffering leads to the dark side.

[oldguystudent]

One of the most divisive characters in UNT history is conveniently never, ever mentioned in athletic department publications, yet we keep reanimating the horse on this board so we can beat the ever loving crap out of it once again.

I'd propose to Harry an auto-lock on any thread started about this topic. It never ends well. Or at least an auto-banish to the Eagle's Nest where the flame throwers abound, the bull is fertile, and everything goes according to plan.

[UNT90]

Sorry, there's NOTHING to be thankful to Dodge for except that early bump in attendance/publicity during Dodgeball season 1.

The early bump in publicity is probably the reason UNT football is viewed so poorly today. When we finally did get the metorplex's attention, we lose 78-whatever to OU (EASILY could have scored 100), and win 3 games the first 2 years of Dodge.

Not really a time that you wanted people paying attention.

That is the reason we are a joke to those who are casual college football fans.

Thank You, Todd Dodge.

[casual fan]

Let's recap.

1. The cupboard wasn't bare.

The year before Mac got here Rylie Dodge was our leading passer (1212 yds) and 2nd leading rusher (250 yds).

Darius Carey was the leading receiver with 524 yds.

Craig Robertson had 133 tackles, by far the most on the team, but he was a senior and gone when Mac got here.

Dodge signed 17 jucos his last 2 years to a team that already had scholarship restrictions. Look at last years poor senior class.

Would you take the team that Mac inherited over the team he has now?

2. There are some senior players left over from the Dodge era that are playing well.

How much has Mac & company developed them? He is known for developing linemen. Canales is known for developing Qbs.

3. When will we ever stop talking about Dodge?

When we start winning and looking farward to going to bowls on a yearly basis. A top 25 ranking would erase it from everyone's mind.

[KingDL1]

Wow I did just puke a little. Dodge sucked as a head coach period

We were very undersized and just now getting up to D1 size all you had to was watch the mean green march.

[oldguystudent]

all you had to was watch the mean green march.

I thought that was just the transition from Hugh Hefner pajamas to suits, you know, the attire of MEN.