Would A New Coach Right Now Make Sense?

[Travis Scott]

I have been a Dodge fan from the start and I still am. I am here to say that I want to win so if a new coach is the answer, then fine by me. Would a new coach right now make the most sense? I understand that from a recruiting point, you would like to have as much time as you can get with a new regime.

If TD is let go, who fills his shoes for the rest of this season...Canalas? Maybe so...does he stay on as the new head coach or just in the interim?

It would make sense to make the switch now if he is going to be the guy from here on out. If he is not, then I struggle to find the reason to let TD go right now.

I mean, we're freakin 1-6. Hopefully we can finish the season 2-10 or by miracle 3-9. I don't know if switching coaches right now REALLY improves our chances of winning games this year. Again, if Canalas is the guy and he keeps most of the staff intact, then I see the reasoning. If not, then why not let the current crew finish the year and clean house after the season is over? Thoughts?

[koose]

The classy and right thing to do is let TD finish out his contract.

WHOOPS!!

I am fixing this. I was thinking he signed a 4 year contract. So I said let him finish out his contract because I just don't think firing a head coach in-season is ever a good thing to do. Dodge needs to go after this year. Sorry for my mistake.

Edited October 18, 2010 by koose

[Mean Green Matt]

It's not about winning games this year. That is probably not going to happen no matter who is at the helm, and, in my mind at least, there is no difference between 1-11 and 3-9.

What is important is that we give ourselves enough time to find a quality coach, and once that happens, give him enough time to hit the recruiting trail hard, and with success. I think the sooner the change is made the better, that way an official coaching search can start.

[The Fake Lonnie Finch]

It's ugly if he stays. It's ugly if he goes.

Nothing of Todd Dodge, that's just the way things are for any school in this situation. For example, I doubt Minnesota runs the table in the Big Ten now that Brewster is gone.

It take spring and fall to get your game philosophy and techniques installed. If they aren't working by this point in the season, there's not a whole hell of a lot you can do about it. Ditto on if someone comes mid-season. It's not like you've got all of this time to orient the team in a new direction over the span of a few days.

I'd say, keep Dodge until it's over. If you are going to fire or reassign, wait until after the next loss. But, let him coach to the end either way. Although...I hope againt all hope the next loss isn't to WKU.

It's hard enough to stomach that FIU ended their long losing streak against us back in 2007. WKU has a similarly long losing streak going. If we end up being their streak buster as well...it'll be too much.

[UNTLifer]

If I am counting correctly, and I've always been pretty fair with numbers, this makes thread number 82 in regards to the coaching situation at NT.

[The Fake Lonnie Finch]

If I am counting correctly, and I've always been pretty fair with numbers, this makes thread number 82 in regards to the coaching situation at NT.

..and, there's a bye week. Plenty of time for minds to run wild before the next game.

[Lurker]

..and, there's a bye week. Plenty of time for minds to run wild before the next game.

I have no doubt that in fine UNT tradition, the school will allow this ship to driven straight to the bottom of the ocean. Or in a new turn of events, change the coach as the team boards the plane for WKU and allow the new coach the flight to get everything in order.

Edited October 18, 2010 by Lurker

[UNT90]

I have been a Dodge fan from the start and I still am. I am here to say that I want to win so if a new coach is the answer, then fine by me. Would a new coach right now make the most sense? I understand that from a recruiting point, you would like to have as much time as you can get with a new regime.

If TD is let go, who fills his shoes for the rest of this season...Canalas? Maybe so...does he stay on as the new head coach or just in the interim?

It would make sense to make the switch now if he is going to be the guy from here on out. If he is not, then I struggle to find the reason to let TD go right now.

I mean, we're freakin 1-6. Hopefully we can finish the season 2-10 or by miracle 3-9. I don't know if switching coaches right now REALLY improves our chances of winning games this year. Again, if Canalas is the guy and he keeps most of the staff intact, then I see the reasoning. If not, then why not let the current crew finish the year and clean house after the season is over? Thoughts?

UNT should make the move now for several reasons;

1) The most important- The new stadium and trying to sell suites and club seating. Right now, there is zero hope for the future of this team. Reassigning Dodge and replacing him with an interm coach (it doesn't matter who it is) would at least show future investers in the stadium that changes are coming and give them a reason to spend their money.

2) This is the perfect time to make a move. A bye week upcoming, allowing 2 weeks for the interm coach to get settled in.

3) The coaching search can get under way in full public view. No backroom contacts need to be made.

It's like removing a bandaid. If you know you are going to do it, just grab it and rip it off. Trying to peal it back slowly just prolongs the pain.

Edited October 18, 2010 by UNT90

[UNTFan23]

The classy and right thing to do is let TD finish out his contract.

Dodge should do the classy and right thing then and give up his salary for a year as the athletic program will likely lose a ton of money if they keep him for another year and he doesn't deliver with a winning season. The Athletic Department could then pay him for 12 games at the end of the regular season if he wins 7 or more games with 20,000 in average attendance.

[DeepGreen]

I'd say, keep Dodge until it's over. If you are going to fire or reassign, wait until after the next loss. But, let him coach to the end either way. Although...I hope againt all hope the next loss isn't to WKU.

It's hard enough to stomach that FIU ended their long losing streak against us back in 2007. WKU has a similarly long losing streak going. If we end up being their streak buster as well...it'll be too much.

Should we lose to WKU, all-out Jihad will occur on this board.

[EagleGreen]

Just like job searching, I say don't get rid of the one you got until you get another. In the case of UNT football, unless we are able to announce a REALLY BIG NAME COACH, I would let Dodge stay for the remainder of the year. In the interim, we can still look for a coach. Then, after the season, we can announce the arrival of the coach that nobody has heard of but is the right person to lead us to victory in our new stadium. I don't think we let Dodge go "just because we suck", or "to get the message across".

The only reason I can see letting him go before the end of the season is for recruiting reasons but I don't really know how that works.

[foutsrouts]

The classy and right thing to do is let TD finish out his contract.

I'm more than a little sorry about the injuries, and that we were not able to see what this team could do without them, but I never really thought of suicide as being classy.

[eppy4life]

Wait until the season's over. As evidenced by Mr. Mosley we have a lot of players who, recruited by Dodge, still believe in and respect him. A good amount of those players will also be trusted to revive this program when and if a change is made. I'm sure most of the players understand that a change is needed and would be ok with that happening at season's end. But to humiliate Dodge by dropping him now may do more bad than good.

[emmitt01]

Yes, it would make sense. If Todge stays...we will lose more games, and badly. If he goes, we will probably lose more games. The difference? We can FINALLY show that this is not the same 'ol NT. That mediocrity (boy, wouldn't that be nice at this point ) is not just taken as part of the way things are done and that we can't help but expect it. It's not like we couldn't just tape record any one of his postgame interviews and play them in his stead for the rest of the season.

[Green Mean]

The classy and right thing to do is let TD finish out his contract.

He can't coach worth a damn. He's taken enough money from this school as it is.

[eppy4life]

He can't coach worth a damn. He's taken enough money from this school as it is.

As Koose said, "The classy thing to do..." Clearly, you're not worried about being 'classy.'

[UNTFan23]

Wait until the season's over. As evidenced by Mr. Mosley we have a lot of players who, recruited by Dodge, still believe in and respect him. A good amount of those players will also be trusted to revive this program when and if a change is made. I'm sure most of the players understand that a change is needed and would be ok with that happening at season's end. But to humiliate Dodge by dropping him now may do more bad than good.

So I guess a few thousand for the Troy game is acceptable then? Why should fans should up for a losing cause if we keep TD through the end of the season?

[greeneagle69]

I'm a loyal Dodge fan and I will make absolutely no apologies for that !!!! IF we cut him off mid-stroke, we will be straddling a barbed-wire fence...either way we go we'll snag the goodies. If we wait till December, the next coach will have a very poor (short) recruiting season...just like what we gave Dodge to begin with. The shelves are better stocked this round than what Dickey left behind. BUT, time is a big factor for a school like ours competing w/ SMU,TCU,A&M, etc. To fire Dodge immediately...would possibly start RV's phone ringing !! Is there a coach out there who's ready now ??? Is he already being talked to via the Batphone ??? And not just him, but are there any assistants and their families ready to quit jobs,move kids, etc just to come to UNT. I doubt anyone is foaming at the mouth to get HERE ! I 'd be surprised if there's a termination before the next to last game. (But I'm usually wrong).

[Green Mean]

As Koose said, "The classy thing to do..." Clearly, you're not worried about being 'classy.'

No I am not worried about being classy. This isn't a 4 year old girls YMCA soccer league where they don't keep score and stuff. This is a business. And how would it be unclassy? The man has been an inept coach going on four years, has added more embarrassment to the program that was already a joke, and he has failed miserably at all levels in his job that is paid to do. This isn't charity work.

Please separate Todd Dodge the man and Todd Dodge the football coach.

[untbowler]

So I guess a few thousand for the Troy game is acceptable then? Why should fans should up for a losing cause if we keep TD through the end of the season?

Does RV have the stones to follow thru on his demand of 7 wins or does he give pass to Dodge due to injuries? If he was going to make a move it should have been done on Sunday.

[untbowler]

The shelves are better stocked this round than what Dickey left behind.

I would be willing to debate that. Positions in only certain positions are better, but as a whole no. Dodge had a stout defense returning that he screwed up. He also had a good QB to run the show and look what he did there, as well as not recruiting a true QB the past 4 years.

[VideoEagle]

So I guess a few thousand for the Troy game is acceptable then? Why should fans should up for a losing cause if we keep TD through the end of the season?

The number of people who will show up for an interim coach who would not show up for Dodge is tiny at best. The one's who won't come back till NT shows it's serious by doing (insert something here) won't come back because we have a caretaker losing instead of Dodge losing.

That's like suggesting current sales for the new stadium would be better if we fired Dodge. I was told by multiple people in the athletic department trying to sell me Club seats on Saturday that sales are at or above the original expectations so far. The one's who can make that level of commitment know we will change coaches and aren't waiting for the change in significant numbers.

[GoMeanGreen1999]

The classy and right thing to do is let TD finish out his contract.

So you want him back for next year too?

[Green Mean]

So you want him back for next year too?

Why not? I've heard he's a nice guy.

[koose]

WHOOPS!!!!

I was thinking he signed a 4 year contract. So I said let him finish out his contract to finish out the year because I just don't think firing a head coach in-season is ever a good thing to do. I think it looks bad to potential replacements when we do that. Dodge needs to go after this year. Sorry for my mistake.

Edited October 18, 2010 by koose