Matt Dodge will take over head coaching duties of the Warrenton girls track team for the 2026 spring season after four years on the staff.

“I’m really excited to get going,” Dodge said. “This will be my fifth year on the staff, so it felt like a pretty natural transition for me.” 

Dodge will take over a girls program that had a state qualifier in now-graduated Avery Shaw last year. Already familiar with the program’s culture and operations, he plans to keep his core coaching philosophy intact, which is built on consistency. 

Dodge noted one of his biggest goals for the next several months is to increase involvement in the offseason and generate more numbers in the program. 

“My hope is to try and elevate (the offseason) by using some of our younger kids to help with recruitment and numbers on the front end,” Dodge said. “Hopefully, we get some good solid momentum going into the season before we start up meets and competitions.” 

He plans to begin offseason workouts after winter break versus before with an emphasis on resistance band training, weight room sessions and stair workouts. 

He noted attendance is not mandatory, but he hopes to get as many athletes involved as possible to build momentum before the season starts. 

“I’ll be looking toward the sophomores and freshmen this offseason to bring some friends out. If you have a handful of kids that bring around one kid, all of a sudden our numbers have grown by 25 percent,” Dodge said. 

When it comes to coaching style, Dodge believes in high standards without harshness. Rather than yelling or rigid discipline, he emphasized firm expectations in the details. 

Things such as consistent effort from warmups to cool downs, wearing the Warrenton uniform with pride and being prepared at the start of practice were examples Dodge mentioned. 

“I want to set those base-level expectations for them and not necessarily be strict in upholding those, but being consistent and unwavering in the way those things are enforced in the program,” Dodge said.