Bishop Noll selects 2012 grad Dodson as basketball coach

by Jennifer Pallay

HAMMOND, Ind. (July 8, 2020) – John Dodson III, a member of the Bishop Noll Institute (BNI) 2011 state finalist basketball team and member of the 2016 Benedictine University NCAA Division III national runner-up team, has been named BNI’s head boys basketball coach, Athletic Director Eric Roldan announced earlier this week.

Dodson served the past two seasons as assistant coach at NCAA Division III Milwaukee School of Engineering and worked as a Milwaukee-based account executive for a national logistics company. He graduated in 2016 from Benedictine in Lisle, Ill., with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and marketing, earning dean’s list status as a junior and senior with a 3.5 grade-point average.

“I am excited for this opportunity,” Dodson said. “Having the chance to give knowledge back and teach young men the game of basketball has continued to be a passion of mine, and what better place to do it than at home? I’d like to truly thank Bishop Noll for allowing me this opportunity to come back. My goal is to develop and grow this group of young men and bring back the winning culture that Noll is accustomed to.”

Roldan praised the leadership of Dodson, who was a starting guard on the Bishop Noll team that went 26-0 before losing by one point to Indianapolis Park Tudor in the 2011 Class 2A state championship game. At Benedictine, Dodson was a two-year captain and started every game as a senior, logging more minutes than any other player on a team that went 31-0 before losing the national championship game to St. Thomas of Minnesota.

“John was a fierce competitor here at Bishop Noll and always highly respected among his coaches, peers and school community,” Roldan said. “We are excited to bring John back not only because of his success here, but also his success and leadership as a college player and coach, all of which will benefit the young men in Bishop Noll’s basketball program.”