50 Years Ago Coach Dodd Retired - 22 years and 165 wins

[awbuzz]

Full write up

Somethings change and other remain...
"Dodd’s comments to a Chicago Tribune columnist... indicate that in 50 years, some things haven’t changed that drastically at Tech. For one thing, Dodd shared the history of his renowned “belly series,” a forerunner of the spread-option offense that coach Paul Johnson runs now.

Dodd: “The ‘belly’ went farther than a mere fake. The quarterback actually left the football in the fullback’s belly for a couple of steps and then, when the offense was committed (edit: he may have said or meant defense), withdrew the ball and made a pitchout.”

 

[awbuzz]

Does this look/sound familiar today?

“Standards are higher, and it is more difficult to enroll the outstanding athlete. We haven’t had a strong freshman team for three years. At Georgia Tech, the problem was compounded because we don’t have the variety of courses available at other tech schools. I saw that we could hold our own against many schools, such as Army, Navy, Tulane, Duke and Notre Dame. But we couldn’t enroll all the talent available to state universities. What we must do now is recruit farther away from home. We can’t qualify all our area boys, and we have to compensate. Let’s say that I certainly didn’t relish the pressure of trying to recruit a championship team under conditions that do not favor a school with high academic standards.”

"AJC writer Jack Wilkinson, cited “Dodd’s growing dissatisfaction with Tech academic policies that inhibited his recruiting” as a factor in his decision to retire, along with health issues. (He was 58 at the time of his retirement.)"

 

[MikeJackets]

Full write up

Somethings change and other remain...
"Dodd’s comments to a Chicago Tribune columnist... indicate that in 50 years, some things haven’t changed that drastically at Tech. For one thing, Dodd shared the history of his renowned “belly series,” a forerunner of the spread-option offense that coach Paul Johnson runs now.

Dodd: “The ‘belly’ went farther than a mere fake. The quarterback actually left the football in the fullback’s belly for a couple of steps and then, when the offense was committed (edit: he may have said or meant defense), withdrew the ball and made a pitchout.”

Bobby Dodd as GT head coach had a very good rivalry with Tennessee and their head coaches General Neyland and Bowden Wyatt.

 

[Sideways]

Bobby Dodd as GT head coach had a very good rivalry with Tennessee and their head coaches General Neyland and Bowden Wyatt.

Understandable. The General was Dodd's coach when he was an All American quarterback at Tennessee and was an enormous influence on Dodd and the way he approached the game. In a book, Dodd listed several of his most important victories, one being, of course, the huge upset of #1 Alabama in 1962 at Grant Field and another his very first win over Neyland's Vols in Knoxville 27-0. I would expect that to Coach Dodd Tennessee was right up there with Georgia in importance. When Kim King was a sophomore starting quarterback Tech was playing at Tennessee and Dodd comes up to him in the pregame warm up and says: "You know I played right here in this stadium" King said his heart went to his stomach or vice versa. He knew then just how important that game was to Dodd. According to my Dad, the best game he ever saw at Grant Field was a kicking contest and pure defense played by Tech and Tennessee when both were ranked in the top 10 during the 1950s Tennessee won 6-0.

 

[Supersizethatorder-mutt]

Understandable. The General was Dodd's coach when he was an All American quarterback at Tennessee and was an enormous influence on Dodd and the way he approached the game. In a book, Dodd listed several of his most important victories, one being, of course, the huge upset of #1 Alabama in 1962 at Grant Field and another his very first win over Neyland's Vols in Knoxville 27-0. I would expect that to Coach Dodd Tennessee was right up there with Georgia in importance. When Kim King was a sophomore starting quarterback Tech was playing at Tennessee and Dodd comes up to him in the pregame warm up and says: "You know I played right here in this stadium" King said his heart went to his stomach or vice versa. He knew then just how important that game was to Dodd. According to my Dad, the best game he ever saw at Grant Field was a kicking contest and pure defense played by Tech and Tennessee when both were ranked in the top 10 during the 1950s Tennessee won 6-0.

For a long time that 1956 Tech - UT game was considered one of the best college football games ever played.

 

[Skeptic]

At the risk of igniting a fire storm from Doddophiles, which is not my intent, as from all I have read or heard Bobby Dodd was as good a coach and man as ever worked the sidelines. (Though he seemed to sit an awful lot, right?) Rather it is to suggest that when coaches, and it is always Paul Johnson to be specific, are compared to Dodd, those two figures should be kept in mind: 22 years, 165 wins. Or 7.5 wins a year. Strip out the whereas, on the other hand, but and however, and there it is. 7.5 wins a year. And he was idolized in Atlanta. I wonder what the half life of a hall of fame coach is before comparisons cease? Alexander, Heisman for instance. Ain't life grand, Paul?

 

[awbuzz]

At the risk of igniting a fire storm from Doddophiles, which is not my intent, as from all I have read or heard Bobby Dodd was as good a coach and man as ever worked the sidelines. (Though he seemed to sit an awful lot, right?) Rather it is to suggest that when coaches, and it is always Paul Johnson to be specific, are compared to Dodd, those two figures should be kept in mind: 22 years, 165 wins. Or 7.5 wins a year. Strip out the whereas, on the other hand, but and however, and there it is. 7.5 wins a year. And he was idolized in Atlanta. I wonder what the half life of a hall of fame coach is before comparisons cease? Alexander, Heisman for instance. Ain't life grand, Paul?

Don't forget 10 games in regular season then vs 12 games now. Also bowl games were a lot harder to play in then. Required more than a .500 record.

 

[zhavenor]

Don't forget 10 games in regular season then vs 12 games now. Also bowl games were a lot harder to play in then. Required more than a .500 record.

The bowl game record over .500 did not come into effect until the 1970's. Lou Holtz at William and Mary made it to a bowl game at 5-6 in 1970. It was harder to get into a bowl game but that is just because there were fewer of them. You are correct though that they played less games but Dodd had some less than stellar seasons and stretches. From '57-'60, a span of 4 seasons, he was 2 games above 500.

 

[awbuzz]

Thanks for the information regarding the .500 record. Didn't realize that that started in the 70's.

 

[Skeptic]

Don't forget 10 games in regular season then vs 12 games now. Also bowl games were a lot harder to play in then. Required more than a .500 record.

That's a excellent point for sure. Shoot, if this keeps up, football is going to join baseball -- what business does a college team have playing 40 or 50 games a year? --and college basketball, and rival the NBA for seasons that last forever. Ah, for the days when football started in September, basketball December, and baseball in March.

 

[Tech First]

For a long time that 1956 Tech - UT game was considered one of the best college football games ever played.

Not sure but don't believe fifty six. I think GT was undefeated untill (sadly) loss to ugag. may have fifty five.

 

[Sideways]

At the risk of igniting a fire storm from Doddophiles, which is not my intent, as from all I have read or heard Bobby Dodd was as good a coach and man as ever worked the sidelines. (Though he seemed to sit an awful lot, right?) Rather it is to suggest that when coaches, and it is always Paul Johnson to be specific, are compared to Dodd, those two figures should be kept in mind: 22 years, 165 wins. Or 7.5 wins a year. Strip out the whereas, on the other hand, but and however, and there it is. 7.5 wins a year. And he was idolized in Atlanta. I wonder what the half life of a hall of fame coach is before comparisons cease? Alexander, Heisman for instance. Ain't life grand, Paul?

Well, I don't know that I would qualify as a "Doddophile". I do know that comparing players and coaches from different eras is mostly a fool's errand. Dodd was among the very best coaches from his era. He was an excellent recruiter when not hamstrung by academic requirements and was an exceptional game day coach. His reputation in his era was largely due to an exemplary relationship with the media, a fine bowl record, and exceptional success in beating Georgia. My parents had season tickets for more than 20 years and Dad thought he was somewhat overrated because his talent seemed, at times to exceed the results. Tech played a challenging schedule for the most part. LSU, UGA, Alabama, Auburn, Tennessee, Duke, Clemson, Florida and Vanderbilt were pretty much every year. It should be noted that Clemson was not as good then as they are now but that Duke was probably a little better then than they are now. Florida, Vanderbilt and Auburn were not quite as good then as they are now but still formidable. One thing that has not changed: calculus

 

[MikeJackets]

Not sure but don't believe fifty six. I think GT was undefeated untill (sadly) loss to ugag. may have fifty five.

1955 GT was 9-1-1 with a 14-12 loss to Auburn and a 7-7 tie with Tennessee. GT was 10-1 in 1956 with the only loss being that 6-0 loss to Tennessee.

 

[takethepoints]

As to Dodd sitting on the sidelines:

He did this for two reasons. First, he really did believe in letting his assistants - a lot of them were former players for him and could follow his game plans with real enthusiasm - run the games. He would sit on at his table with a full suit and overcoat on and, if anyone had a question, they came to him. I think this may be one reason he had such a distinguished coaching tree: when you were a Dodd assistant you had real responsibility and most stayed with him for years for just that reason.

Second, Dodd knew that when he did get up and go to the sidelines or the bench, everyone on the field and in the stands would immediately notice and assume that something important had happened or was about to. Refs in particular dreaded hearing that voice roaring at them and acted accordingly. Player also knew that when Dodd got up and came over to talk that he a) had something unusual in mind and b) there was a real good chance that it would work. The execution of those plays was always great because everybody on the Tech sidelines expected them to work and he always called them at exactly the right time. It is also relevant that the other side noticed as well and usually thought their goose was being cooked right then and there on the Tech sidelines. That's what "Dodd's luck" meant.

Add in a really great nose for football talent and a inventive offensive mind and you get a right good country football coach.

 

[MikeJackets]

As to Dodd sitting on the sidelines:

He did this for two reasons. First, he really did believe in letting his assistants - a lot of them were former players for him and could follow his game plans with real enthusiasm - run the games. He would sit on at his table with a full suit and overcoat on and, if anyone had a question, they came to him. I think this may be one reason he had such a distinguished coaching tree: when you were a Dodd assistant you had real responsibility and most stayed with him for years for just that reason.

Second, Dodd knew that when he did get up and go to the sidelines or the bench, everyone on the field and in the stands would immediately notice and assume that something important had happened or was about to. Refs in particular dreaded hearing that voice roaring at them and acted accordingly. Player also knew that when Dodd got up and came over to talk that he a) had something unusual in mind and b) there was a real good chance that it would work. The execution of those plays was always great because everybody on the Tech sidelines expected them to work and he always called them at exactly the right time. It is also relevant that the other side noticed as well and usually thought their goose was being cooked right then and there on the Tech sidelines. That's what "Dodd's luck" meant.

Add in a really great nose for football talent and a inventive offensive mind and you get a right good country football coach.

Coach Dodd was also very good at buddying up to the Officials. I remember seeing a picture of him with his arm around the shoulder of one of the officials in a Sports Illustrated from I believe 1961.

 

[Skeptic]

As to Dodd sitting on the sidelines:

HThe execution of those plays was always great because everybody on the Tech sidelines expected them to work and he always called them at exactly the right time. It is also relevant that the other side noticed as well and usually thought their goose was being cooked right then and there on the Tech sidelines. That's what "Dodd's luck" meant.

Add in a really great nose for football talent and a inventive offensive mind and you get a right good country football coach.

Not dropping names because it was in an entirely different context, but I was at a three-day seminar with Jerry Stovall right after he was fired by LSU and was doing essentially PR for a Baton Rouge bank. But he said almost exactly that: "You look across the field and see him on the sideline and you start to worry immediately."

 

[MikeJackets]

Not dropping names because it was in an entirely different context, but I was at a three-day seminar with Jerry Stovall right after he was fired by LSU and was doing essentially PR for a Baton Rouge bank. But he said almost exactly that: "You look across the field and see him on the sideline and you start to worry immediately."

That's why they called it "Dodd's Luck"

 

[SolicitorJacket]

As to Dodd sitting on the sidelines:

Has anyone ever seen a picture of Dodd sitting at his table on the sideline during a game? That has always interested me because it is so unique. However I have never seen it and would love to.

 

[Sideways]

I read an autobiography by Bear Bryant. He stated that after about 1961 he had made a lot of progress in making Alabama a powerhouse but then he would look across the field and see "...that damned Dodd" Someone mentioned Jerry Stovall. He ran a kickoff back for a touchdown to beat Tech sometime in the early 1960s. He could fly.

 

[Sideways]

Think about this: In a period covering more than a half century Tech had only THREE head coaches: Heisman, Alexander, and Dodd. Truly extraordinary. I think all of them are in the Hall of Fame and deservedly so.