Football
- Title:
- Tight Ends/Recruiting Coordinator
- Phone:
- 765-285-1198
- Email:
- pmdougherty@bsu.edu
- Alma Mater:
- Ohio Dominican '08
- Years at Ball State:
- 9th season in 2021
- Years Coaching:
- 14th season in 2021
Pat Dougherty, who is now in his ninth season at Ball State, was promoted to assistant head coach by Mike Neu in February 2020. This 2021 season will be his sixth as the program’s special teams coordinator and tight ends coach. Dougherty previously served as Ball State’s tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator from 2014-16.
Dougherty has developed and coached 20 all-conference selections during his career. In his first season as assistant head coach in 2020, he helped the Cardinals to the program's first MAC Championship since 1996, its first-ever bowl victory in the Arizona Bowl and its first year-end rankings in the AP and coaches polls.
As BSU’s special teams coordinator, Dougherty’s kicking and return teams have ranked among the best in the MAC. Ball State led the MAC in kickoff returns in 2017 and finished in the top three in the conference two other times, as well as 21st nationally in return efficiency in 2019. The kickoff coverage unit has consistently been at the top of the league, finishing among the top 20 in the country in 2019, while the punt return unit has finished in the top three of the MAC multiple times.
Dougherty's special teams on the 2020 championship squad ranked second in the MAC in kickoff average, featured all-conference return specialist Justin Hall and punter Nathan Snyder, and registered a blocked field goal in the MAC Championship Game and blocked punt in the Arizona Bowl.
The special teams units have also contributed on the scoreboard with two touchdowns via kick returns and one coming from a blocked punt. Dougherty helped kick returner Malik Dunner earn All-MAC honors three straight years in 2017, 2018 and 2019, and guided kicker Morgan Hagee to a new Ball State PAT record in 2018 (129). Hagee finished his Ball State career ranked third in program history in points (282).
In 2018, Dougherty’s pupil, Nolan Givan was named to the John Mackey Award Watch List for the most outstanding tight end in the country.
Dougherty began his coaching career as the defensive line coach at Division III Defiance College from 2008-09 where tutored four All-HCAC defensive linemen. He then moved on to Lindsey Wilson College where he helped start the NAIA football program serving as the special teams coordinator and linebackers coach from 2010-11. While at Lindsey Wilson, he mentored six all-conference players including conference Freshman of the Year Sam Wilson.
Following his stint at Lindsey Wilson, Dougherty spent the 2012 season at Ball State as the offensive line graduate assistant helping the Cardinals to a 9-4 finish and a trip to the 2012 Beef O’ Brady’s Bowl. Dougherty headed to the BIG 10 for 2013 at Northwestern University, working as defensive quality control and assisting with the linebackers, before returning to Ball State as an assistant in the GoDaddy.com Bowl.
Recruiting Areas:
Southwest, Southeast, Central Ohio (Cincinnati, Dayton, Columbus)
Southeast Indiana
Coaching Experience:
Ball State, assistant head coach/special teams coordinator/tight ends coach, 2020-present
Ball State, special teams coordinator/tight ends coach, 2016-19
Ball State, tight ends coach/recruiting coordinator, 2014-16
Northwestern, defensive quality control coach/linebackers, 2013
Ball State, offensive line graduate assistant coach, 2012
Lindsey Wilson, special teams coordinator/linebackers coach, 2010-11
Defiance, defensive line coach, 2008-09
Other Notes:
Played linebacker at Ohio Dominican from 2004-07 … four-year letterman and two-year starter at linebacker for Ohio Dominican … three-time academic all-conference selection.
Personal Information:
Family: Wife (Emma)
College: Bachelor's – Ohio Dominican University, '08; Master's – Defiance College, '10
