Clint Dolezel

Clint Dolezel (born March 25, 1970) is an American football coach and former professional arena football player in the Arena Football League (AFL). He was named the inaugural head coach of the Frisco Fighters in the Indoor Football League before the 2020 season.

Clint Dolezel
Dolezel in 2017
Frisco Fighters
Position:Head coach
Personal information
Born: (1970-03-25) March 25, 1970
Waco, Texas
Height:6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight:205 lb (93 kg)
Career information
High school:Robinson (TX)
College:East Texas State
Undrafted:1994
Career history
As player:
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
As coach:
Career highlights and awards
Career Arena statistics
Comp. / Att.:3,749 / 5,698
Passing yards:44,564
TD-INT:931–155
Passer rating:117.75
Rushing touchdowns:41
Head coaching record
Regular season:102–43 (.703)
Postseason:12–7 (.632)
Career:114–50 (.695)
Player stats at ArenaFan.com

Dolezel was a quarterback in the AFL before becoming the head coach of the AFL's Philadelphia Soul from 2013 until the league folded in 2019. He played college football at East Texas State, and was in the AFL for 13 seasons from 1995 to 2008. Dolezel first became a head coach in 2010 with the San Angelo Stampede Express of the Indoor Football League (IFL). After just a single season, Dolezel returned to the AFL as the head coach of the Dallas Vigilantes. After the Vigilantes franchise suspended operations, Dolezel joined the Philadelphia Soul as their offensive coordinator under head coach Doug Plank. Plank left the Soul following the 2012 season, and the Soul promoted Dolezel to head coach. As an AFL player, he was originally signed by the Milwaukee Mustangs. In his career, he also played for the Texas Terror/Houston Thunderbears, Grand Rapids Rampage, Las Vegas Gladiators, and the Dallas Desperados. Dolezel was also a scout for the Dallas Cowboys 2007.

Early life

Born in Waco, Texas, to Johnnie and Judy Dolezel, Clint attended Robinson High School in Robinson, Texas, where he was a standout quarterback and golfer.

College career

After graduating from Robinson, Dolezel attended Cisco College and was a student and a letterman in football. In football, he was a second team All-Conference selection as a sophomore. After graduating from Cisco, he committed to the University of Southern Mississippi. However, a coaching change landed Dolezel at East Texas State University to play for coach Eddie Vowell. Dolezel was a letterman in football and golf at East Texas State. He quarterbacked the Lions in 1992 and 1993 and ended his career as a Lion throwing for 3,152 yards and 23 touchdowns over 2 seasons. The Lions finished 8-2 during his junior year and finished second in the Lone Star Conference.

Professional career

After establishing himself as one of the best young quarterbacks in the AFL, Dolezel signed with the Chicago Bears in 2000.[1]

Dolezel, along with wide receiver Terrill Shaw, helped the Grand Rapids Rampage win the 2001 ArenaBowl. Dolezel and Shaw became teammates again playing for the Dallas Desperados in 2006.

In September, 2003, the Rampage traded Dolezel to the Las Vegas Gladiators for Sedrick Robinson, Paul LaQuerre and Hardy Mitchell.[2]

On March 12, 2006, Dolezel threw his 700th career touchdown, becoming just the third quarterback in AFL history to do so. The Desperados won that game versus the Tampa Bay Storm 64–35.

On April 16, 2007, in a 51–41 home win against the Philadelphia Soul, Dolezel became the first professional quarterback to throw 800 touchdown passes.[3] In 2007, Dolezel became the first quarterback in league history to lead his team to 15 wins in a season. Despite the 15–1 record, Dallas lost to the 7–9 Columbus Destroyers in the first round of the playoffs. In a 2008 game versus the Grand Rapids Rampage, Dolezel became the first quarterback in league history to throw for 900 touchdown passes in a career.

Statistics
YearTeamPassingRushing
CmpAttPctYdsTDIntRtgAttYdsTD
1995Milwaukee101283.312121113.5351
1996Milwaukee91656.31032180.9231
1997Texas25938866.83,3776915117.41977
1998Houston34355861.54,2288117108.417165
1999Houston37455667.34,3368019112.32243
2001Grand Rapids36457463.43,9528010111.28142
2002Grand Rapids33950567.13,8787919113.47-91
2003Grand Rapids36154566.24,4318915119.21082
2004Las Vegas38158565.14,4289312118.922489
2005Las Vegas30246564.93,5057816112.8610
2006Dallas37557365.44,68510511122.222213
2007Dallas37553370.44,4741079128.210-21
2008Dallas25738866.23,0466610118.811126
Career3,7495,69865.844,564931155117.7515912841

Stats from ArenaFan:[4]

Coaching career

Dolezel had said that he would like to be a coach after his career is over.[5] It was announced that on January 19, Dolezel would become the offensive coordinator for the Florida Firecats' 2009 season (due to the Arena Football League suspending operations for 2009).[6] He was the head coach of the San Angelo Stampede Express of the Indoor Football League in 2010.

Dolezel was announced as the head coach for the Dallas Vigilantes for the 2011 season. The team did not play in 2012 for unknown reasons.

On August 21, 2012, Dolezel was promoted from offensive coordinator to head coach of the Philadelphia Soul.[7]

On September 16, 2014, Dolezel re-signed with the Soul for two more seasons.[8]

In June 2016, Dolezel was announced as the first head coach of the China Arena Football League's Beijing Lions.[9] He was named an All-Pro North Division All-Star as a head coach.[10] On November 6, 2016, the Lions won the first China Bowl and finished the season undefeated.

Dolezel in 2017

On August 25, 2016, Dolezel was named the 2016 Marcum-Moss Head Coach of the Year.[11] A day later, he won his first ArenaBowl championship as a coach when the Soul defeated the Arizona Rattlers, 56–42, in ArenaBowl XXIX in Glendale, Arizona.[12]

On August 26, 2017, the Soul beat the Tampa Bay Storm in ArenaBowl XXX by a score of 44–40.[13]

In 2019, the AFL folded and Dolezel was hired as the inaugural head coach of the Frisco Fighters in the Indoor Football League.[14]

Head coaching record
TeamYearRegular seasonPostseason
WonLostWin %FinishWonLostWin %Result
SAS2010 104.7142nd in Intense Lonestar East11.500Lost Divisionals II (Billings)
IFL total104.71411.500
DAL2011 117.6112nd in AC Central01.000Lost to Chicago Rush in Conference Semifinals.
PHI2013 126.6672nd in AC Central21.667Lost to Arizona Rattlers in ArenaBowl XXVI
PHI2014 99.5003rd in AC Central01.000Lost to Cleveland Gladiators in Conference Semifinals
PHI2015 153.8331st in AC Central11.500Lost to Jacksonville Sharks in AC Championship
PHI2016 133.8131st in AC301.000Won ArenaBowl XXIX
PHI2017 131.9291st in AFL201.000Won ArenaBowl XXX
PHI2018 75.5833rd in AFL02.000Lost to Baltimore Brigade in Semifinals
PHI2019 75.5833rd in AFL21.667Lost to Albany Empire in ArenaBowl XXXII
AFL total8739.690106.625
BEI2016 501.0001st in CAFL101.000Won China Bowl
Career total10243.703127.632

Notes
  1. "Dolezel Signs with Chicago Bears". www.oursportscentral.com. OurSports Central. March 22, 2000. Retrieved August 4, 2014.
  2. "Rampage Acquire Three Veterans for Dolezel". www.oursportscentral.com. OurSports Central. September 2, 2003. Retrieved August 4, 2014.
  3. Stephen Hawkins (July 5, 2007). "Record-setting Dallas QB Dolezel looking for 2nd AFL title". www.myplainview.com. My Plainview. Retrieved August 4, 2014.
  4. "Clint Dolezel". arenafan.com. Retrieved August 26, 2017.
  5. Adam Candee (September 24, 2004). "Dolezel ready to throw himself into new assignment". www.lasvegassun.com. Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved August 4, 2014.
  6. "af2: Florida Firecats name Dolezel as offensive coordinator". www.naplesnews.com. Naples Daily News. January 13, 2009. Retrieved August 4, 2014.
  7. "Philadelphia Soul Promote Clint Dolezel to Head Coach". www.philadelphiasoul.com. Philadelphia Soul. August 21, 2012. Archived from the original on April 10, 2012. Retrieved August 22, 2012.
  8. Ed Barkowitz (September 17, 2014). "Dolezel re-ups to coach the Soul". www.philly.com. Interstate General Media, LLC. Retrieved September 17, 2014.
  9. "Six-Shooters – China's First Coaches Set for Action". arenafan.com. June 3, 2016. Retrieved June 8, 2016.
  10. "The CAFL has announced their 2016 All-Pro North division All-Stars". caflfootball.com. November 4, 2016. Archived from the original on November 7, 2016. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  11. "Dolezel Awarded Marcum Moss Coach of the Year". www.oursportscentral.com. OurSports Central. August 25, 2016. Retrieved August 26, 2016.
  12. "Soul Defeat Rattlers, 56-42, to Claim AFL Crown". arenafootball.com. August 26, 2016. Archived from the original on August 28, 2016. Retrieved August 28, 2016.CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link)
  13. "Soul Snare Second Straight Foster Trophy in ArenaBowl XXX". arenafootball.com. Archived from the original on August 27, 2017. Retrieved August 27, 2017.CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link)
  14. "'Frisco Fighters' named Indoor Football League team for the city". Community Impact Newspaper. December 11, 2019.
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