If there’s one constant in Dragon Football’s dominance over the last several years, it’s head coach Riley Dodge. A former Dragon himself on top of having a Dragon-famous dad, Riley came back home in 2018 and quickly went to work. Now heading into his fifth season at the helm, take a look back at Riley’s storied success and sneak a peek at what might lay ahead.
#Winning
One thing Riley Dodge knows is winning. As a player for Southlake Carroll, Riley threw for 8,143 yards and 101 touchdowns, helping the team win the 2006 5A state championship. He also was named a 2008 Parade All-American and two-time Texas 5A Offensive Player of the Year. When he joined Carroll as a coach, that winning tradition followed him. He has a 91% winning percentage and a 52-5 record — besting even his father’s first seasons and putting him amongst the top coaches in the state.
Honing Young Talent
A big part of Riley’s success as a head coach can be attributed to his years as a player. With his own experience and talent with passing and running, he’s passing down his knowledge with spectacular results. Under his years as head coach — on top of dozens of recognitions from MaxPreps, Dave Campbell’s Texas Football and “The Dallas Morning News” — Southlake Carroll has had a player become the record-holder in most yards rushed, two players earn All-American Bowl recognition, No. 1 nationally ranked recruit Quinn Ewers went to the presitgious Elite 11 and former running back TJ McDaniel earned the 2018 Landry Award.
Protecting The Tradition
Whether he’s winning games or molding young talent, Riley continues to protect the Dragon tradition. Over the course of his relatively short career with Carroll, he’s racked up some big accolades himself. After his second season leading the team, Riley earned the highly coveted Landry Award as Coach of the Year in 2019, beating out four other finalists for the honor. The Dragons’ head coach also cemented his legacy as a player at Carroll after being named one of the 2021 Carroll Hall of Honor inductees.