For having only a short resume as a high school football head coach in Florida, Dedrick Dodge is one man of a very few coaches who have won it all in the first year.
That is part of the reason he is coming back home. The other is part where is heart and home is.
On Monday, Dodge officially accepted the head coaching position at his alma mater, Mulberry, first reported by the Lakeland Ledger.
Dodge is well-known in Polk County football circuit, having coached one season at Evangel Christian in 2005, winning the Class 1B state championship with the program.
However, Dodge didn’t get to see a second season with Evangel as the entire school was closed after the 2005-2006 school year. Victory Christian took on the high school students from Evangel starting the 2006-2007 school year and the football program followed over to its new school, where Dodge coached one more season. That school year, Victory Christian finished as the Class 1B state runner-up.
Since then, Dodge has coached at the college level at three different programs including Fort Valley State, Alabama State and Stillman College, the report indicated.
In addition to his coaching resume, Dodge spent eight seasons in the National Football League, winning Super Bowl rings with the San Francisco 49ers and the Denver Broncos. Before playing professionally, Dodge played his college career at Florida State under legendary head coach Bobby Bowden.
![Addy Curry has helped lead second-year Tocoi Creek (St. Augustine) to the playoffs and will travel to Timber Creek for their first-round match. Class 4A Regional Quartefinals take place on Wednesday, April 29. [Joshua Wilson/FloridaHSFootball.com]](https://i0.wp.com/floridahsfootball.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/2026-Class-4A-Regional-Quarterfinals-Playoff-Preview.jpg?fit=1920%2C1080&ssl=1)
![Ponte Vedra QB Izzy Murray will be one to keep an eye when the Class 3A Regional Quarterfinals take place on Wednesday, April 29. [Joshua Wilson/FloridaHSFootball.com]](https://i0.wp.com/floridahsfootball.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/2026-3A-Regional-Quarterfinals-Playoff-Preview.jpg?fit=1920%2C1080&ssl=1)
![Robinson (Tampa) is chasing a 10th consecutive state championship -- and 11th overall as the Class 2A Regional Quarterfinals get underway on Tuesday, April 28. [Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers]](https://i0.wp.com/floridahsfootball.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/2026-2A-Regional-Quarterfinals-Playoff-Preview.jpg?fit=1920%2C1080&ssl=1)
