McALLEN — Michael Smith has been named the new head coach for the McAllen High volleyball program, replacing Paula Dodge, who announced her retirement earlier this year after 25 years at the Bulldogs helm.
Smith had been the head coach and Class 2-AAA for the Jackson High Volleyball program in Georgia since April 2018. He has led his team to two regional titles – the first in their school history, and three Sweet 16 appearances from 2018-2020.
“I’m so excited,” Smith said by phone from his home in Georgia, adding that his wife is in the Valley closing on their new home. “We will be there for good here in another week. We should be arriving in the Valley next Friday, permanently.
| Michael Smith |
Smith was a Bulldog while attending the University of Georgia. He said his sister told him, “this was meant to be. You’re a Bulldog.”
“I know I have very big shoes to fill,” he said. “Coach Dodge was there for a long time and built a beast of a program, extremely successful. It’s easier to be a good coach for a little bit than to be one for 25 years. So it’s incredibly large shoes to fill. Now I want to continnue that work, build relationships and take it to the next level.
“But being a Bulldog again makes me very happy, and I can get down with the purple and gold.”
McAllen ISD Athletic Director Paula Gonzalez said “we are very excited to bring in a coach of this caliber. Coach Smith earned state coach of the year honors last season and is an excellent choice for an outstanding program like the one at McAllen High.”
Dodge won nearly 600 games during her stellar career at McHi and was named to the Rio Grande Valley Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2020 last year. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there was no induction ceremony and it was rescheduled to this June 19 at the Mission Events Center. He has an 83-33 record during his three most recent seasons at the school.
A Red Wing, Minn., native, Dodge’s first coaching job came at Brownsville Hanna, where she was the varsity track coach from 1985-1993. She coached varsity basketball at Brownsville Lopez before moving to McAllen to become the head volleyball coach in 1996. She coached the Bulldogs to five district championships, taken her teams to the state playoffs 19 times and reached the regional tournament six times, including the past two years.
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