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Todd Dodge coached at Carrollton-Farmers Branch Newman Smith High School and did not take them to the playoffs during the time he was there. He left Newman Smith to go to Keller Fossil Ridge... then went to Carroll.

Thanks for the correction. I got my Carrollton-Farmers Branch schools mixed up. Also, I had forgotten about the Fossil Ridge stop. I guess this bolsters my point: he's been a head coach at 3 large high schools (someone correct me if they know more about his coaching stops. For some reason I thought he was at UNT for a brief period, also.)and has had much success (I still thought his team at Newman Smith went to the playoffs. Perhaps I'm just recalling how he turned around a dismal program into one of respectability). It's very difficult to dispute the success he's had with that sophisticated offense he uses at Southlake. And, let's not forget, Southlake is not loaded with D1 talent - which makes his system, and results, even more impressive. This guy is going to make someone a very good coach.

Interesting that today's DMN that Coach Bennett is planning on filling the OC job before Christmas. The AFCA convention is Jan. 4-7 in Orlando and that is when all the football coaches get together. Thought must be that the OC gets hired before the convention and the other postion is filled during the convention.

The way I read it, Coach Bennett would like to have the position filled by Christmas, but I didn't take the article as saying he was definitely going to. I would think he already has his top candidates in mind, and if he can't get his top man, or one of them, he might then slide back his deadline. But there's no question the urgency is there.

UNT can't ever do any better than the New Orleans bowl.
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Firstly, the New Orleans Bowl is also one of CUSA's bowl games if you were not aware of that fact. So why would you diss a CUSA bowl? Didn't SMU just get their heart's desire to get that CUSA membership, albeit, TCU looks like they are going to do it to yall once again by going elsewhere.

IMO, the Frogs are spinning their wheels or making much ado about nothing in the non BCS. They should have had all their recent successes back when they were in the SWC; a time ( and conference) when it would have counted and gotten them more notoriety (and a possible future in a BCS league which I supposed Baylor received instead).

The New Orleans Bowl according to responses from the visiting team's players/coaches/fans who go there already give it a "5 star" rating for more fun, more things to do and royal treatment from the NO's Bowl Association people, etc, etc, etc,.

Some would say this Big Easy bowl in only its 3'rd year rivals most any other bowl from other non BCS conference locales. FWIW, wouldn't it really be a wast of time to discuss what city most U.S. tourists would choose if Dallas, Fort Worth, Mobile, Memphis or New Orleans were the choice? Add a bowl game event to the mix and you suddenly have more than just 1 good reason to go to the Crescent City.

NORTH TEXAS took about 16-17,000 fans to last years NO's Bowl and are forecasting that there will upwards to 20,000 plus MEAN GREEN fans for this next Tuesday nights game against the Memphis Tigers.

Many of our fans/students are already in New Orleans or will arrive today (Saturday) as it has become an annual winter vacation spot and haven for many in our constituency.

Thousands of UNT students celebrate the end of their Fall finals (ours are earlier than TCU's}} ) in the French Quarter, Jackson Square, Bourbon Street, etc, etc, etc, and according to our ticket office officials, more UNT students the last 2 weeks have purchased tickets than the previous 2 trips UNT has made to this bowl game.

Yet you say its the best "WE" can do? Well, it was the best that the 2002 CUSA football co-champion could do last December when NORTH TEXAS hosted & beat that CUSA co-champion in an ESPN II nationally televised game.

This next Tuesday night at 6 PM (December 16'th), UNT gets an extra added bonus when one of our own UNT grads (ESPN's Dave Barnett) will team with ex Georgia Tech/Alabama coach Bill Curry and broadcast the 3'rd annual NEW ORLEANS BOWL. Heather Cox will do sideline reporting duties.

Most any bowl game (even those faraway where some schools will take less than 1,000 fans and hardly any students) beats where many NCAA D1-A football teams are going to be spending their December during bowl season--like in the weight room?

A bowl game also provides many extra practice sessions that some coaches even use to prepare their team for Spring football. I'ts all good, even in "just" New Orleans, truly one of the world's mystique cities.

<small>[ 12-13-2003, 12:00 PM: Message edited by: MeanGreenGem ]</small>

Any whispers on who might get the nod at offensive coordinator?

And why do we care about UNT and the New Orleans Bowl? Have a great time, we just don't care about UNT.

Look for Todd Dodge to be named Offensive Coordinator after this weekend's state championship game. Book it.

well if he is the choice, while I'll give him my support because he is a bright young prospect, I think its worth noting the school that talks about a COMMITMENT has basically taken the cheapest alternative and a huge gamble on a high school coach without strong Division 1A coaching or coordinating credentials. Guess we're just hoping to catch Lightening in a Bottle one of these years.

FOOTBALLSCOOP is reporting that Alan Gooch from UCF is the leading candidate for the OC job at SMU.

Originally posted by Stallion:
well if he is the choice, while I'll give him my support because he is a bright young prospect, I think its worth noting the school that talks about a COMMITMENT has basically taken the cheapest alternative and a huge gamble on a high school coach without strong Division 1A coaching or coordinating credentials. Guess we're just hoping to catch Lightening in a Bottle one of these years.

Jeez, Stallion. I'd think you'd mention that a well respected hotshot offensive minded high school coach and former Longhorn QB might help with recruiting.

I want to be clear-I've got nothin' against him and he has done a simply outstanding job at SLC with 31 straight wins-but Division 1A teams don't hire HS Coaches as Coordinators. Hope he does a great job though.

Originally posted by MeanGreenGem:

Now which Safeway Parking lot did yall decide on?!?

How about the one outside the UNT English Department - where hopfully you can learn that the subject line "Offensive Coordinator Candidates" does not mean the same thing as "Let's discuss the bowl experience of a teacher's college"

Originally posted by Stallion:
I want to be clear-I've got nothin' against him and he has done a simply outstanding job at SLC with 31 straight wins-but Division 1A teams don't hire HS Coaches as Coordinators. Hope he does a great job though.

Insert the word "traditionally" in the phrase "Division 1A teams don't hire HS Coaches as Coordinators" and I am fine with it.

Div. 1 powerhouses don't normally hire Division 1-AA coaches either, but Ohio State did it and won a national championship.

U of H hired a guy 3 years removed from coaching high school as their head coach. Briles left HS to be Running Backs coach (never a coordinator) at TT and 3 years later is HC of a Div. 1 program.

Is this the conventional route? Maybe not. But to immediately latch onto this as an indication of anything positive or negative is (i) premature; and (ii) a little disengenuous.

Not saying it is gonna happen, but imagine if Southlake QB Chase Daniel lists SMU as "high interest" and commits early next year.

<small>[ 12-15-2003, 12:57 PM: Message edited by: Dooby ]</small>

Isn't it funny that both Ohio St. and Houston have extremely different athletic models than SMU? My point is this...SMU can hire Jesus Christ as an offensive coordinator and it will not matter. Until SMU changes its model then success will always one step away.