Eight-time state champion Southlake Carroll is renowned for producing prolific offenses and prodigious quarterbacks throughout its illustrious history.
But Carroll is turning to a defensive guru to be its next head football coach.
Carroll promoted associate head coach and defensive coordinator Lee Munn to head coach by a unanimous vote at a school board meeting Monday night. With current and former Carroll players in attendance, Munn was hired to replace Riley Dodge as the head coach for a team that was ranked as high as No. 3 in the nation this season and reached the Class 6A Division II state semifinals.
Munn will assume his new role immediately.
“I am incredibly honored and grateful for the opportunity to serve as head football coach at Carroll,” Munn in a statement. “This program, this community, and these student-athletes mean a great deal to me. I am committed to building on the tradition of excellence that defines our Dragons while continuing to develop young men of character, discipline, and heart.”
High School Sports
With Munn guiding the defense, Carroll ranked second in scoring defense among Dallas-area 6A schools, allowing 12.5 points per game during a 14-1 season. It was the fourth time in five years that Carroll ranked in the top four in the area in that category.
“Lee Munn has earned the respect of our players, staff, and community through his leadership, integrity, and commitment to excellence,” board president Cam Bryan said in a statement. “He understands what it means to be a Dragon and has consistently demonstrated that he will put our players first. We are excited to see him lead our football program into its next chapter.”
Munn will face pressure to succeed in one of the premier jobs in Texas high school football. Dodge was 107-10 in eight seasons as Carroll’s head coach while making two state championship game appearances and reaching the state semifinals three other years, and Carroll has won 10 or more games for 10 consecutive seasons and in 16 of the last 17 years.
But Carroll is still looking for its first state title since 2011.
It was announced Dec. 24 that Dodge was leaving Carroll to become SMU’s passing game coordinator and tight ends coach. Dodge was hired as Carroll’s head coach in 2018 and brought Munn in as the defensive coordinator at that time.
Munn had support from a lot of current and former Carroll players to be the new head coach. Miami Dolphins quarterback Quinn Ewers weighed in on who he wanted to see lead his alma mater and tweeted “Lee Munn,” followed by the hashtags #BallKnower, #CultureLeader and #LeadWithLee.
Carroll ISD conducted a nationwide search and received a strong pool of highly qualified applicants. The district said it emphasized the importance of selecting a coach who reflects Carroll’s values, culture, and commitment to student success.
Munn previously worked as an assistant coach for Dodge’s father, seven-time state champion Todd Dodge, at Marble Falls and Austin Westlake. Todd Dodge, who won four state titles as Carroll’s head coach from 2000 to 2006, told The Dallas Morning News recently that he would endorse Munn for Carroll’s head coaching job.
Munn did serve as the interim head coach for one of the biggest wins in Carroll history. He filled in for Riley Dodge for a 34-27 state semifinal win over Duncanville in the pandemic-ravaged season that started in 2020 and ended in 2021 after Dodge couldn’t attend the game because he tested positive for COVID-19.
Munn becomes just the sixth head coach Carroll has had since 1979, following Bob Ledbetter, Tom Rapp, Todd Dodge, Hal Wasson and Riley Dodge. A member of the Dodge family has been Carroll’s head coach for 15 of the last 26 years.
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