Mike Dodrill
Mike Dodrill’s trips to volleyball practice will be a lot shorter this fall. The longtime Burris teacher was recently hired to coach the Owls, taking over the program at the school where he has served as a science teacher for more than a decade. Dodrill comes to Burris after serving as the head coach at New Castle, a position he assumed during the 2013 season.
“It means a great deal to me,” Dodrill said. “Teaching there for so long and then finally being able to take over this program, (I’m) honored and humbled at the same time.”
Dodrill’s 2014 New Castle team went 19-15, falling in five sets to Mt. Vernon in its sectional opener. He inherits a Burris team that went 18-17 with a senior-laden roster last year. The Owls won a regional title before falling in the first round at semistate.
He said he looks forward to coaching at the same school at which he serves as a teacher.
“Absolutely,” Dodrill said. “Coaching’s just one perk of teaching, I coach because I teach. And that will make it very nice, being in the building. You get to know the girls on a different level, on an academic level as well. And you just spend more time with them.”
Before going to New Castle in 2013, Dodrill spent the 2011 and 2012 seasons as an assistant coach at Wapahani under Mike Lingenfelter as the Raiders won two state titles. Dodrill coached at the junior varsity and middle school levels at Burris before coaching at Wapahani, and said his varied experiences helped shape his coaching career.
“Being on staff with Mike was an equally awesome experience as it was being on staff with Steve (Shondell),” Dodrill said. “I learned so much from both of those guys, as far as player management, and fundamentals of the game, and offensive strategies, and things from Mike. It broadened my horizons, for sure.”
Burris volleyball coach Rodriguez resigns
Burris athletic director Chad Wlodarek said he came away impressed with Dodrill during the school’s interview process for the position. John Rodriguez recently resigned after two seasons with the Owls.
“His philosophy is dead-on what we were looking for,” Wlodarek said. “He’s there to build the program long-term, connect the middle school and the elementary to the high school. And he bleeds Burris blue and gold.”
Wlodarek said he also recently filled the school’s cross country coaching position. Lucas Clay, an Indiana Academy graduate who ran for the Owls, will take over that program following the departure of former coach Bill Mitchell, who recently graduated from Ball State. Wlodarek said his searches for a new swimming coach, boys soccer coach and girls track coach are ongoing. Swimming coach Sara Fauquher resigned due to a family move, boys soccer coach Kameron McBride took the same job at Yorktown, and girls track coach Maya LeBlanc resigned following her graduation from Ball State.
Contact prep sports reporter Sam Wilson at (765) 213-5807. Follow him on Twitter @SamWilsonTSP.