Todd Dodge
Encyclopedia
Todd Dodge is an American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...

 coach and former player. He is currently the quarterbacks coach at the University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...

, a position he has held since January 2011. Dodge was the head football coach at the University of North Texas
University of North Texas
The University of North Texas is a public institution of higher education and research in Denton. Founded in 1890, UNT is part of the University of North Texas System. As of the fall of 2010, the University of North Texas, Denton campus, had a certified enrollment of 36,067...

 from 2007 to 2010. Prior to his stint at North Texas, Dodge coached high school football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....

 and became one of the most successful coaches in Texas history, winning four 5A state titles in seven years at Southlake Carroll High School
Carroll Senior High School (Southlake, Texas)
Carroll Senior High School is a public secondary school in Southlake, Texas. It is located in the Carroll Independent School District.-History:...

.

Playing career

Dodge played quarterback at Thomas Jefferson High School in Port Arthur, Texas
Port Arthur, Texas
-Demographics:As of the 2000 census, there were 57,755 people, 21,839 households, and 14,675 families residing in the city. The population density was 696.5 people per square mile . There were 24,713 housing units at an average density of 298.0 per square mile...

, under a coach who pioneered pass-happy offenses in Texas football, Ronnie Thompson. As a senior in 1980, Dodge became the first quarterback in Texas high school football history to pass for more than 3,000 yards in a season, while he led Jefferson High to the 1980 Class 5A state championship game against storied Permian High School
Permian High School
Permian High School is a public high school located in Odessa, Texas and is part of the Ector County Independent School District. It was the subject of the book Friday Night Lights which in turn inspired a movie and TV series of the same name.-History:...

 of Odessa, Texas
Odessa, Texas
Odessa is a city in and the county seat of Ector County, Texas, United States. It is located primarily in Ector County, although a small portion of the city extends into Midland County. Odessa's population was 99,940 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Odessa, Texas Metropolitan...

.

Dodge went on to play quarterback at the University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...

 under coach Fred Akers
Fred Akers
-External links:*...

. He still ranks ninth on the UT all-time passing list (2,791 yards) and stands ninth in TD passes (18). His 359 passing yards in Texas' 44–16 win over Rice
Rice Owls football
The Rice Owls football team represents Rice University in NCAA Division I college football. The Owls have competed in Conference USA's Western Division since 2005. Rice Stadium, built in 1950, hosts the Owls' home football games.-Venue:...

 in 1985 stood as the Longhorn single-game record for 13 years before James Brown
James Brown (American football)
James Brown is a former American football quarterback. He was the starting quarterback of the Texas Longhorns from 1994 to 1997...

 broke it with a 397-yard passing day against Texas Tech in 1997. Dodge's passing effort currently ranks fourth on the UT single-game chart, behind Major Applewhite
Major Applewhite
Major Lee Applewhite is the Co-Offensive Coordinator and Running Backs Coach for the University of Texas. Prior to Texas, Applewhite served as offensive coordinator at Rice University under Todd Graham in 2006, and at the University of Alabama under Nick Saban in 2007...

, Colt McCoy
Colt McCoy
Daniel "Colt" McCoy is an American football quarterback for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Browns in the third round of the 2010 NFL Draft...

, and Brown.

High school coaching career

Soon after graduation, Dodge pursued a coaching career at the high school level. His first stop was at Rockwall
Rockwall High School
Rockwall High School is a high school that is part of the Rockwall Independent School District located in Rockwall, Texas. The mission statement of Rockwall High School is "Rockwall High School values quality education and strives to be an exemplary school by providing students with the tools...

 in 1987, where he coached the quarterbacks and wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...

s and helped guiding the team to a 4A state championship game appearance against West Orange-Stark
West Orange-Stark High School
West Orange-Stark High School is a College Preparatory High school, and the only high school in the West Orange-Cove Consolidated Independent School District, though some students report to the West Orange-Stark Academic Alternative Center.-History:...

. Dodge then became offensive coordinator
Offensive coordinator
An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of a gridiron football team who is in charge of the offense. Generally, along with his defensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...

 at McKinney
McKinney High School
McKinney High School is located at 1400 Wilson Creek Parkway in McKinney, Texas, and is within the McKinney Independent School District...

, where head coach Ron Poe
Ron Poe
Ron Poe is a former American football coach. He served as head football coach and athletic director at McKinney High School in McKinney, Texas, from 1971 to 2000. Under his guidance, McKinney won a Class 3A state championship in 1979 and finished runner-up in 1986...

 used to field a run-oriented offense. By 1991, Poe yielded to Dodge's persuasion and agreed to try the spread offense. Dodge came up with a hybrid between the University of Houston
University of Houston
The University of Houston is a state research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 40,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of...

's Run-and-Shoot, the University of Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...

's three- and five-step drops and a zone running game. Powered by the new high-octane offense, McKinney reached the 4A Regionals in 1991.

After a two-year stint as an assistant coach at North Texas
University of North Texas
The University of North Texas is a public institution of higher education and research in Denton. Founded in 1890, UNT is part of the University of North Texas System. As of the fall of 2010, the University of North Texas, Denton campus, had a certified enrollment of 36,067...

, Dodge returned to the high school ranks and coached at three different high schools the next six seasons, turning a troubled program around each time. In 2000, he became head coach at Southlake Carroll
Carroll Senior High School (Southlake, Texas)
Carroll Senior High School is a public secondary school in Southlake, Texas. It is located in the Carroll Independent School District.-History:...

, where coach Bob Ledbetter won 3A state championships in 1988, '92 and '93. Southlake Carroll had since moved up to Class 4A and, in 2002, had been designated a Class 5A high school. During his seven seasons at Southlake Carroll, Dodge amassed a 98–11 record overall. In 2002 the school won its first 5A state championship with a 45-14 rout over Smithson Valley
Smithson Valley High School
Smithson Valley High School is a 4A high school located near Spring Branch, Texas . It is part of the Comal Independent School District and is one of three high schools in the district. Smithson Valley High School is zoned for students who live primarily in the southwestern Comal County area,...

. A year later, Southlake Carroll lost the championship game by one point to Katy
Katy High School
Katy High School is a high school located in Katy, Texas, United States and serves grades 9 through 12. It is a part of the Katy Independent School District...

.

Southlake Carroll obtained total superiority over Texas high school football in 2004, starting a winning streak that lasted until 2007 and tied Abilene
Abilene High School (Abilene, Texas)
Abilene High School is a public high school located in Abilene, Texas and is part of the Abilene Independent School District. Abilene High School is the name given to three different schools in the past 150 years. The first Abilene High was an old warehouse. Not long after that, the school was...

's record streak from the 1950s. Dodge's teams won three consecutive 5A state championships during that span, as only the second team ever to do so in Texas history. Each championship squad was recognized as mythical national champions
High School Football National Championship
The High School Football National Championship is a national championship honor awarded to the best high school football team in the United States of America based on rankings from USA Today and the National Prep Poll. There have been some efforts over the years at organizing a single-game playoff...

 by either USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...

(2004, '06) or National Prep Poll (2004, '05), while Dodge was named "National Coach of the Year" by Schutt Sports in 2004 and by USA Today in 2005.

Dodge's highly successful “Air-Raid offense” revolutionized the style of play of Texas high school football, according to many observers. During the last 35 years, Texas has evolved from almost strictly a running state to one that has produced at least one air-it-out champion annually since 1993. Three of Dodge's former quarterbacks at Southlake Carroll rank among the top 7 all-time in single season passing yardage in Texas: Chase Wasson, Chase Daniel
Chase Daniel
William Chase Daniel is an American football quarterback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was signed by the Washington Redskins as an undrafted free agent in 2009...

, and Greg McElroy
Greg McElroy
Gregory McElroy, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Jets in the seventh round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He played college football at Alabama....

. After the 2006 season, Dodge left Southlake Carroll, making one of the rare jumps from high school head coaching to a FBS college football program.

College coaching career

Dodge was hired on December 12, 2006 to become the new head football coach at the University of North Texas, replacing former coach Darrell Dickey, who was fired on November 8 after going 2–9 in 2005 and 3–9 in 2006. Dodge had been an offensive assistant at North Texas in 1992 and 1993 under Dennis Parker
Dennis Parker
-External links:...

. During his tenure he co-directed the Mean Green offense to a per-game average of 348 yards and 26 points. Prior the 2006 season, Dodge was contacted by Bill Parcells
Bill Parcells
Duane Charles "Bill" Parcells is a former American football head coach, most recently with the Dallas Cowboys from 2003 to 2006...

 to join the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...

 as tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...

s coach. He was also a candidate for the vacant head coaching position at Rice University
Rice University
William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University or Rice, is a private research university located on a heavily wooded campus in Houston, Texas, United States...

 in 2006, but turned down an invitation to interview for the job.

During the season, Dodge and his coaching staff faced allegations of racial bias, but were cleared after a school investigation. One of the players bringing the complaint, cornerback Desmon Chatman, had been suspended earlier that season by Dodge for missing a workout and misrepresenting his whereabouts.

Dodge's spread offense registered 408.4 total yards per game, but only managed to average 24.8 points while giving up 39 sacks. After true freshman quarterback Giovanni Vizza emerged as the starter, the team averaged 28.7 points per game in the last 8 games. A former two-star recruit from San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...

, Vizza threw for 2,388 yards and 17 touchdowns in 10 games (leading the nation's freshman passers in both categories) and earned the 2007 Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year award. The offense also featured Casey Fitzgerald, a former walk-on who had only caught 5 collegiate passes in his career, but developed quickly under Dodge's staff, collecting 111 passes for 1322 yards and 12 TDs.

As promising as the offense was down the strech, fan optimism was limited by the team's dismal defense. Dodge brought most of his original college coaching staff from the high school ranks. The lack of college experience of many of Dodge's coaches was an issue with fans and alumni as the team struggled. Nowhere was that more apparent than on defense, where Dodge's staff inherited very little proven talent. UNT's defensive squad, directed by Ron Mendoza, gave up an FBS-worst 45.1 points per game,, making Mendoza a lightning rod for fans and alumni. Soon after the season ended, Dodge dismissed Mendoza.

For the 2008 season, Dodge hired Gary DeLoach
Gary DeLoach
Gary DeLoach is an American football coach. He served as defensive coordinator from 2007-2010 at the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas. It was DeLoach's second stint as North Texas coordinator, after guiding the Mean Green defense from 2000-02.-Early years:A native of Houston, Texas,...

 to replace Mendoza. DeLoach was a proven collegiate defensive coach popular with UNT's fans, having been UNT's secondary coach (1998–2000) and defensive coordinator (2000–02), and then the safeties and special teams coach for UCLA (2002–07). Despite the hire, UNT's defense was still physically overmatched in 2008. Undersized and inexperienced on the defensive line and young and inexperienced in the secondary, the Mean Green defense again allowed a huge number of big plays on the way to allowing 47.6 points per game in 2008, again the worst number at the FBS level.

The offense also regressed in 2008, averaging only 20.0 points per game and allowing 25 sacks. Vizza's play fell off as the team struggled to find receiving help for Fitzgerald. Dodge's team ran quicker routes to cover their pass protection problems. During the year, quarterback Riley Dodge, one of the most decorated recruits in UNT history and Todd Dodge's son, joined the team.

With the graduation of a number of players and a lack of speed and depth, UNT's young special teams units also imploded in 2008 and were among the worst in the country in most categories.

Vizza opted not to compete with the more mobile Riley Dodge and transferred to Texas A&M prior to the 2009 season.

UNT focused heavily on upgrading the team's defensive talent via JUCO recruits in 2009. The defense showed some improved in 2009 giving up an average of 36.4 PPG, including 28.8 PPG in the last 4 games. The team's defensive resurgence directly corresponded to the moving of two of UNT's defensive linemen, Eddrick Gilmore and Tevinn Cantly back to end and tackle respectively, their original positions.

Unfortunately, ineffectiveness and breakdowns at key moments in the offensive and special teams units rendered the defensive improvements moot. Riley Dodge ran the offense with great intuitiveness. His elusiveness helped the offensive line only yield 12 sacks all season, but his lack of strength, size, and inexperience at the collegiate level lead to a number of turnovers and missed time. UNT averaged 26.6 points per game, but had 21 fumbles and 17 interceptions.

UNT's special teams improved in 2009, but the kicking game melted down late as they surrendered several blocked field goals. UNT finished the 2009 season 2-10.

UNT opted to retain Todd Dodge for the 2010 season. Dodge and his under siege staff scoured the JUCO ranks and landed the best recruiting class on paper at UNT in years. Things looked promising for the 2010 season.

Then another pitfall befell the team. In the spring it became apparent that Riley Dodge's passing strength had been compromised by series of injuries over the years. Todd Dodge moved his son to receiver. Long time backup Senior Nathan Tune, a strong armed pocket passer, emerged as the starting QB, beating out sophomore Derek Thompson.

After playing very well vs. Clemson and Rice, Tune went down with a dislocated hip at the end of the Rice game. Thompson went down with a broken leg early the next week vs. Army as the team lost a number of starters to season ending injuries.

On October 20, 2010, Dodge was fired from the team after compiling a 6–37 record. Mike Canales
Mike Canales
Mike Canales is an American college football coach.During the 2010 season at North Texas, he was promoted from offensive coordinator to interim head coach after the mid-season termination of his predecessor, Todd Dodge. UNT averaged 33.8 points a game after Canales took over as head coach, after...

, the offensive coordinator, took over as interim head coach.

Dodge was named the quarterbacks coach at the University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...

 on January 18, 2011.

Personal

Dodge is married to former Elizabeth Neptune, daughter of Ebbie Neptune, longtime athletic director and football coach at Westlake High School of Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...

. The couple has a son, Riley Dodge
Riley Dodge
-High school career:Dodge prepped at Carroll High School of Southlake, Texas, where he was coached by his dad, Todd Dodge, and later Hal Wasson. Dodge played behind former Alabama Crimson Tide, and current New York Jets quarterback Greg McElroy...

, who played wide receiver and quarterback at North Texas, and a daughter, Molly, who is an 11th grader in Carroll Independent School District
Carroll Independent School District
The Carroll Independent School District is an independent PK-12 school district serving the city of Southlake, Texas and portions of northwest Grapevine, far northern Colleyville, and eastern Westlake.-History:...

.

High school

Season Team Wins Losses Notes
1994 Cameron
Cameron, Texas
Cameron is a city in Milam County, Texas, United States. The population was 5,634 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Milam County.-Geography:Cameron is located at . It is situated at the junction of U.S...

 Yoe
C.H. Yoe High school
C.H. Yoe High School is a 2A high school located in Cameron, Texas . It is part of the Cameron Independent School District located in north central Milam County. The school uses the unusual symbol oYe to pay tribute to the school's namesake, C.H. Yoe, of which comes from its founder...

 
3 7
1995 Cameron Yoe 5 5
1996 Carrollton
Carrollton, Texas
-Climate:*On average, the warmest month is July.*The highest recorded temperature was 112°F in 1980.*The average coolest month is January.*The lowest recorded temperature was 1°F in 1989.*The most precipitation on average occurs in May....

 Newman Smith
Newman Smith High School
Newman Smith High School is a secondary school in Carrollton, Texas, United States in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District and opened 1975. Smith serves sections of Carrollton and Dallas....

 
4 6
1997 Carrollton Newman Smith 5 5
1998 Keller
Keller, Texas
Keller is a city located in Tarrant County, Texas, in the United States. In 2011, it was ranked 93rd in Money Magazine's list of best cities to live in the United States. It is a northern suburb of the city of Fort Worth and is part of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex...

 Fossil Ridge 
2 7
1999 Keller Fossil Ridge 5 5
2000 Southlake
Southlake, Texas
Southlake is a city in northeast Tarrant and southeast Denton counties, Texas. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 26,575. A suburb of Fort Worth and Dallas, Southlake is known for exemplary public schools, Southlake Town Square, and Carroll High School's 7-time state champion football...

 Carroll 
9 5
2001 Southlake Carroll 10 5
2002 Southlake Carroll 16 0 5A Division II state champions
2003 Southlake Carroll 15 1 lost title game 16-15 to Katy
2004 Southlake Carroll 16 0 5A Division II state champions
2005 Southlake Carroll 16 0 5A Division II state champions
2006 Southlake Carroll 16 0 5A Division I state champions
13 Total 124 46

College

*Dodge was dismissed October 20; Mike Canales
Mike Canales
Mike Canales is an American college football coach.During the 2010 season at North Texas, he was promoted from offensive coordinator to interim head coach after the mid-season termination of his predecessor, Todd Dodge. UNT averaged 33.8 points a game after Canales took over as head coach, after...

 coached the remainder of the season.


External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK