Could Bobby Dodd be successful today?

71YellowJacket

71YellowJacket

Damn Good Rat
Joined
Jul 10, 2002
Messages
1,262
I wonder if Coach Dodd were coaching today, how would he stack up? Would he change his style to be successful?

IIRC, Coach Dodd did not believe in heavy contact in practice; even played vollyball.

He also gave the upper classmen a break on spring training.

Lastly, he also didn't believe in practicing hard for bowl games.

Would it work today?
 
That is a good question? I really think the game of football was passing Dodd by in his latter years of coaching.

Dodd believed in playing defensive football and playing the odds. In his time, the passing game was not as sophisticated as it is roday.

I began to get upset at Dodd in his latter years. He would still punt on third down and turn the ball over to the sophisticated offenses. I have seen many games where it backfired on him against the high powered offensive teams.

Dodd would have to adjust to today's fast paced games if he were to coach today. However, there is one caveat in his favor. He did not get the best athletes in his day, as GT was a high tech school with more stringent academics.

Since we are in the high tech era, there are many more athletes wanting to get into the computer and high tech industries. I believe Dodd and his friendly demeanor would attract the good recruits like bees to honey.

The recruiting of better athletes might offset some of his deficiencies. However, there is no way to tell for sure, and it is a fact we will never know.

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Ahso, I agree Dodd would have had to change his coaching style. I do believe he had a grasp of the game and could have changed his style maybe with ease maybe not. I seem to remember his last year as coach he was what 9-1 and with the bowl loss to Fla he was like 9-2. So even with the game changing he was still good enough to play in a major bowl so could he have been sucessful in todays game I don't know and thats a question that will never be answered.
 
OldFoggy, there is one thing for sure, he left us old folks with some very good memories of some very good football at Tech.

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If Bobby Dodd was any one thing...he was a winner. He was successful at everything he tried as a boy and as an adult. He would be a winner today as well. He understood people, and he loved athletic competition. He thrived on it. He was a communicator and an innovator, and those traits would have allowed him to be successful today.
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Ahos, BDG I agree with you both and I know until the day I meet my maker I can truthfully say I saw the best in college football as Bobby Dodd sure left me with pleasant memories. Dodd if nothing else was competitive(sp) and a winner.
 
BDS, I can't disagree with you about his competitiveness. It is well recorded of his many victories in all kinds of competition.

For any who have not read Dodd's Luck, it is phenominal how he won at every thing he tried. Get the book and read it. As BDS states, he was definitely a winner, both as a participant and a coach.

 
Originally posted by ahsoisee:
OldFoggy, there is one thing for sure, he left us old folks with some very good memories of some very good football at Tech.

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<font size="2" face="Arial, Verdana, Sans-Serif">I wish I was an old person.
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All I can do is read about Dodd's success. I want his book badly. Anyone know where I can buy it?
(Excluding Internet purchasing: Can't quite use a credit card.)
 
You could have fast-forwarded the one and only Bobby Dodd, 35 years into the future (from 1967 to 2002), and have had a heck of a lot better chance for success than with Dave Braine's self-appointed next Bobby Dodd.

Sad, but true.
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Well BW I see you are at it again. You just can't resist can you. I would almost be willing to place a bet with you that I saw more of Bobby and knew him well and that you neither knew him nor saw any of his games he coached. So get to heck off our current situtation and let it be. I would also be willing to bet if anyone ever finds out who you are and they meet you at BDS you are going to end up minus some teeth and maybe a nose.
 
The question by 71Bee was if Dodd was coaching today would he be successful. I am one of Coach Dodd's biggest supporters but honesty compels me to admit that I don't think he would come close to
winning with the regularity that he did during his run from 1946-1966. I know this is a sensitive subject but there is one reason that dodd wouldn't attain to those heights today, and that is the black athlete. Dodd never had a black
athlete but it is not because he would have any problem recruiting and playing black players but since the advent of the black players in southern football they changed the philosophy of the old coaches with their speed. I'm sure the older fans remember in the early 70's Alabama played Southern
Cal in Legion Field in Birmingham and Sam Cunningham a black running back for Southern Cal ran roughshod over Bama and I read from many sources that Bear Bryant realized that if he was to remain among the top programs that Bama would have to open the doors and welcome them in.
Now the question is how would that affect Dodd?
Very simple, Dodd was a conservative coach that liked to put his best players on defense and dare the other team to open the game up and along the way make a mistake and Dodd would capitalize on it. Well, plain and simple that wouldn't work now because with the advent of the speed guys the offenses have opened up to a level that even ole Dodd never dreamed of.What I guess i'm saying is that i'm not sure that Dodd's ego would allow Dodd
to change his philosophy as Bryant did.
 
Originally posted by bobby dodds ghost:
They don't sell it at the Tech bookstore?
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BOO
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<font size="2" face="Arial, Verdana, Sans-Serif">A book by Bobby Dodd? At the Tech bookstore?
What a concept!

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TheJacket, go to www.amazon.com and enter Dodd's Luck in the search box.

It will bring up Dodd's Luck and tell you how to order it. Hope this is helpful.

 
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