High School

A New Era Begins at Southlake Carroll—But the Change Isn’t What It Seems

After Riley Dodge’s departure, one of Texas high school football’s most powerful programs made a move that suggests stability may matter more than reinvention.

Levi Payton

After losing its head coach this offseason, one Texas power plans to retain its momentum after Monday's big announcement.
After losing its head coach this offseason, one Texas power plans to retain its momentum after Monday's big announcement. / Gregory LaGrange

Southlake Carroll set out in search of a new high school football coach at the turn of the new year. As it turned out, they already had the guy. Stability, not reinvention, won out Monday night in one of Texas high school football’s most scrutinized searches.

Carroll ISD officially named longtime defensive coordinator and associate head coach Lee Munn as Southlake Carroll’s next head football coach, elevating a familiar voice to replace Riley Dodge, who left the program in December to join SMU’s coaching staff.

The district’s board of trustees unanimously approved the hire Monday evening, ending weeks of speculation about whether the Dragons would look outside one of the state’s most tradition-rich programs.

Instead, Carroll chose continuity at a moment when change felt inevitable.

“This program, this community, and these student-athletes mean a great deal to me,” Munn said in a statement. “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.”

Why Carroll’s transition may not feel like a reset

While a head coaching change typically signals a philosophical shift, Carroll’s move carries the opposite implication.

Munn has been part of the Dragons’ inner circle since 2018, arriving as one of Dodge’s first hires and quickly becoming a foundational piece of the program. His promotion ensures that the Dragons remain led by someone steeped in Carroll’s culture and expectations, rather than adjusting to an unfamiliar system.

That continuity extends beyond Southlake.

Before joining Carroll, Munn worked under Todd Dodge, Riley Dodge’s father and a seven-time state champion head coach, at Marble Falls and Austin Westlake. Todd Dodge won four state titles during his own run at Carroll from 2000 to 2006.

In total, a member of the Dodge family has served as Carroll’s head coach for 15 of the last 26 years. Munn’s elevation might break up the biological lineage, but it at least ensures the roots of the family coaching tree are still firmly entrenched.

Defensive identity defines Munn’s résumé

Southlake Carroll has long been synonymous with high-powered offenses and elite quarterbacks, but Munn arrives with a defensive reputation forged at the highest level.

This past season, the Dragons allowed 12.5 points per game, ranking among the best defenses in Texas and helping propel Carroll to a 14-1 record and a berth in the Class 6A Division II state semifinals. It marked the fourth time in five seasons that Carroll finished among the top defensive units in the Dallas area.

Munn also served as Carroll’s interim head coach for one of the most memorable wins in program history, stepping in during the pandemic-altered 2020-21 season for a 34-27 state semifinal victory over Duncanville after Dodge tested positive for COVID-19.

His leadership during that moment, along with widespread support from current and former players, strengthened his candidacy during the district’s search process.

Carroll ISD leans on trust, culture and continuity

District leaders emphasized that the decision followed a broad national search, but ultimately centered on fit.

“Lee Munn has earned the respect of our players, staff, and community through his leadership, integrity, and commitment to excellence,” Carroll ISD board president Cam Bryan said. “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.”

Southlake Carroll player Brock Boyd walks off the field after a game and is followed by coaches.
Dragons coaches have helped develop some of the country's finest talent over the years, including 2026 star Brock Boyd (11), who is headed to Ohio State. / Naomi Skinner/Times Record News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Munn brings more than a decade of coaching experience in Texas, beginning as a graduate assistant at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, where he earned a master’s degree in exercise and sport science, before stops at Marble Falls and Westlake.

He has seemingly prepared for the moment by wearing a lot of hats since arriving in Southlake, including overseeing defensive strategy, offseason programming and player development for the Dragons.

Expectations remain unchanged in a pressure-packed role

Munn inherits one of the most demanding jobs in high school football.

Under Riley Dodge, Carroll went 107-10 over eight seasons, reached two state championship games and won at least 10 games in 10 consecutive seasons. Yet even with that sustained success, the Dragons have not won a state title since 2011, a reality that looms over the program’s next era.

Now, the task falls to a coach who knows the weight of the job and the expectations that come with it.

Munn assumes his new role immediately, charged with proving that while the name on the office door has changed, Southlake Carroll’s standard has not.

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Levi Payton
LEVI PAYTON

Levi’s sports journalism career began in 2005. A Missouri native, he’s won multiple Press Association awards for feature writing and has served as a writer and editor covering high school sports as well as working beats in professional baseball, NCAA football, basketball, baseball and soccer. If you have a good story, he’d love to tell it.

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