Q&A with Southlake Carroll Coach Todd Dodge

September 2, 2005

by Chris Helterbrand 

    Let's imagine for a moment that Southlake Carroll had not lost the 2003 Class 5A Division II State Championship game to Katy.
Southlake Carroll would have been riding a 48-game win streak entering the 2005 season, with three consecutive Class 5A Division II state titles to go alon with last year's national championship.
    That kind of recognition would change almost any coach, but not Todd Dodge. His approach to the game has remained constant since he took his first head coaching position 12 years ago at Cameron Yoe.
Dodge has made a slow but steady ascent to prominence since then, with many speculating he move on to the college ranks in the very near future.
    Sportswriter Chris Helterand had the chance to speak with Dodge recently on everything from life in Southlake to speculation that he might someday seek employment at his alma mater in Austin.
Here are some of the highlights of that interview, beginning with the hypothetical question about the Katy game.

Q. What would like be like had Carroll won the 2003 state championship instead of coming up one point short?

A. I don't think it would be any different than it is right now, to be honest with you. Obviously, going into this season we were 47-1.
The bottom line—when I think about that game—is that we didn't score enough points. That's the bottom line. But that's just the accountability factor I want our coaches and kids to have on both sides of the ball. Our job is to outscore the opponent. But one of the other big things I think of is that the 2003 seniors were just a tremendous group of kids. I think they're kind of forgotten sometimes because they didn't win the state championship. It was tough on them. But they accomplished some great things, and I've got a special place in my heart for the entire group.

Q. It's generally agreed that Bob Ledbetter put Southlake Carroll football on the map. How do you respond to those that try to make comparisons between you and coach Ledbetter?

A. As far as me, I got the job in the wintertime of 2000, and my first thought was that I was tremendously proud and honored to have the opportunity to be the head coach of such a tremendous program that had such a great tradition. And--a sense of responsibility to keep it going--and to even raise the bar. I think that's anybody's job—in any job they have—is to keep the level of excellence going if there's been some, and then also to improve on things if they can. I enjoy being in a place where the expectation is high. That's kind of where "Protect the Tradition" came from that first spring. I had someone ask me, "What's your Motto?" And I said, there's only going to be one motto while I'm here, and that's "Protect the Tradition." That's not some cute little thing you put on a T-shirt--it means something to us. It means first, respecting what came before you and understanding the hard work that it took for people to put Carroll fooball on the map and to keep it going. And to even make it better. That's one thing people try to pin me into is comparing the program now to the prorgram in the past. People are always debating what the best team that ever was and what the best player that ever was. Me, I don't want our coaches or players having that kind of conversation because if you do, then you're just competing against yourself. We're just proud to be a part of what went on in the past, and I try to educate my kids as much as possible about the great Dragons teams of the late 80s and early 90s, but we try not get in competition with what's gone on in the past. We've got enough competition on the outside to deal with—I promise you that."

Q. You have a wonderful knack for being able to seemingly always find the right words to say in almost any situation. Any thoughts of a career in politics after you've left coaching?

A. I guess one thing is I had an opportunity when I was real young as a player at the college leve to have to deal with the media in a lot of ways. And I've gone through my times of being burned, but I know that you don't win football games or lose football games through the newspaper. And also, you don't air out your dirty laundry throughout the media. I think I've been blessed in a way that the good lord put me in a situation when I was young to have me deal with situations like that as a quarterback of a major college.

Q. It obviously has to be a great thrill to have your son, Riley, as part of the team now. How has that worked out?

A. He was three years old when I got my first head coaching job. Literally, I can remember it like it was yesterday--Cameron, TX, population, 4,000. and Riley's been on the sideline with me every game [since then.] Now we start this season and he's contributing as a sophomore and doing a nice job. It was pretty special the other night I have to admit when he threw his first touchdown pass at Coppell. I was able to go over and give him a great big hug like I have so many other players. I've had a lot of coaching friends of mine that have given me a lot of good advice when it comes to coaching your own son. I had someone tell me--you'll be the two most important people in his life--his coach and his father. Don't take either one of them away. Make sure you're both to him. That's what I'm trying to do.

Q. Another hypothetical situation: Mack Brown retires as coach at the University of Texas. Can you see yourself as Head Coach of the Longhorns?

A. There's no doubt I would welcome the opportunity to coach at my alma mater. I would love the opportunity. But to be the head football coach at any Division One university--I think there has to be a build up. I think it would have to start with a position coach—coordinator possibly. You don't just walk into a Division job from the high school level. I think I've been around some really good mentors, and Dennis Parker one time when I worked for him at North Texas told me "Make sure that you always spend your time doing the job that you have instead of trying to get the next job." The people that go forward in this profession are the ones that pour themselve into the job they have. Very rarely are the ones who keep trying to get the next job successful.. That's been my philosophy, and I'm going to keep pouring myself into Carroll football.