Offensive coordinator Mike Canales, who is one of the leading candidates to replace Dodge, has been named interim coach. North Texas (1-6) is off this week and doesn't play against until Oct. 30 at Western Kentucky. The Denton Record-Chronicle first reported Dodge's firing.
Dodge was 6-37 in four seasons at UNT.
Since last season, the Mean Green have lost 14 starters to season-ending injuries, including punter Will Atterberry to a broken arm in last week's loss to Florida International. North Texas also had lost its top three quarterbacks to injuries.
If the injury problems weren't bad enough, freshman walk-on wide receiver Josh Rake died in a single-car accident earlier this month. Also earlier this month, wide receiver Tyler Stradford was nearly killed in a freak accident at his apartment complex. Stradford was running from a pit bull, jumped over a fence and landed on a stick that impaled his chest. It missed his heart by inches.
Of the 11 starters lost to season-ending injuries this season, nine were on offense.
"On top of the loss of Josh Rake and all that adversity, our kids never wavered in their pursuit of victory," Canales told FanHouse earlier this month. "We're proud of our kids. The score didn't show it, but we won in a lot of different ways.
"We won as men together. It has brought our team closer together. They are winners, God doesn't create losers."
Despite the rash of injuries, Canales' offense outgained the opposition in three of UNT's first four losses against Clemson, Rice and Louisiana-Lafayette.
North Texas was 0-9 in games decided by seven points or less since 2009.
Dodge's firing is the second in the FBS ranks this season. Dodge joins Minnesota's Tim Brewster, who was fired Sunday.
North Texas is scheduled to open a new $78 million stadium next season that will seat approximately 30,000.
Brett McMurphy is a national college football writer for FanHouse. Contact him at brettmcmurphy@gmail.com or please follow at Twitter.com/BrettmcmurphY
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