Upcoming Event: Football versus NC State on September 20, 2025 at 4 p.m.
Football
vs NC State
Dougherty Tabbed Special Teams Coordinator and Tight Ends Coach
1/11/2022 3:45:00 PM | Football
DURHAM – Duke head football coach Mike Elko announced Tuesday that Patrick Dougherty will join the Blue Devil gridiron program and serve as the special teams coordinator. Dougherty will also coach Duke's tight ends.
Â
Dougherty makes his way to Durham after an eight-year stint at Ball State University, serving the last two as the assistant head coach, special teams coordinator and tight ends coach. He also served as the special teams coordinator and tight ends coach (2016-19) and the tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator (2014-15) during his time in Muncie. Dougherty was on staff for the 2012 season as well, working as a graduate assistant with a focus on the offensive line.
Â
Throughout his Ball State tenure, he coached the Cardinals in four bowl games, including a 34-13 victory over No. 19 San Jose State in the 2020 Offerpad Arizona Bowl. In addition, Dougherty coached six players to 10 All-Mid-American Conference honors, including three-time recipient in kick returner Malik Dunner (2017-19). Return specialist Justin Hall was also a two-time award winner, earning recognition in 2020 and 2021. Kicker Morgan Hagee saw success under Dougherty's tutelage as well, setting the Ball State PAT record in 2018 (129) and finishing his Cardinal career ranked third in program history in points (282).
Â
Last season, Dougherty mentored return specialist Hall, who broke the program record for career all-purpose yards with 5,359. The Douglasville, Ga., native was one of seven players in the country in 2021 to score a touchdown via rush, reception and kickoff return during the regular season. Ball State also finished the year bowl eligible for the second-straight season, making an appearance in the TaxAct Camellia Bowl.
Â
During his first year as the assistant head coach, he helped the Cardinals to their first MAC Championship since 1996 after they finished the year with a 7-1 overall mark and a final ranking of No. 23 in the Associated Press and Coaches Polls. His special teams unit ranked second in the MAC in kickoff average and registered a blocked field goal in the MAC Championship game and a blocked punt in the Arizona Bowl.
Â
Since taking over as special teams coordinator in 2016, Ball State has consistently ranked in the top half of the MAC in both kick and punt returns. The Cardinals led the conference in kickoff returns in 2017 and finished in the top three on two other occasions. The punt return unit has been stout as well, finishing in the top three of the MAC multiple times.
Â
Dougherty also made stops at Northwestern University (2013) as the defensive quality control coach, and Lindsey Wilson College (2010-11) as the special teams coordinator and linebackers coach. His coaching career started at Defiance College in 2008, where he coached the defensive line for two seasons.
Â
A 2008 graduate of Ohio Dominican College with a bachelor's degree in business management, Dougherty was a four-year letterman and two-year starter at linebacker for the Panthers, earning three-time academic all-conference accolades during his tenure. He went on to earn a master's degree in sports science from Defiance in 2010.
Dougherty is married to the former Emma Lebovitz of Cleveland, Ohio, and they are the parents of one son, Griffin.
Â
THE PATRICK DOUGHERTY FILE
Hometown: Dayton, Ohio
Education: Ohio Dominican, 2008 (business management) and Defiance, 2010 (sports science)
Wife: Emma
Children: Griffin
Birthday: September 2, 1985
Â
DOUGHERTY'S COACHING CAREER
#GoDuke
Â
Â
Dougherty makes his way to Durham after an eight-year stint at Ball State University, serving the last two as the assistant head coach, special teams coordinator and tight ends coach. He also served as the special teams coordinator and tight ends coach (2016-19) and the tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator (2014-15) during his time in Muncie. Dougherty was on staff for the 2012 season as well, working as a graduate assistant with a focus on the offensive line.
Â
Throughout his Ball State tenure, he coached the Cardinals in four bowl games, including a 34-13 victory over No. 19 San Jose State in the 2020 Offerpad Arizona Bowl. In addition, Dougherty coached six players to 10 All-Mid-American Conference honors, including three-time recipient in kick returner Malik Dunner (2017-19). Return specialist Justin Hall was also a two-time award winner, earning recognition in 2020 and 2021. Kicker Morgan Hagee saw success under Dougherty's tutelage as well, setting the Ball State PAT record in 2018 (129) and finishing his Cardinal career ranked third in program history in points (282).
Â
Last season, Dougherty mentored return specialist Hall, who broke the program record for career all-purpose yards with 5,359. The Douglasville, Ga., native was one of seven players in the country in 2021 to score a touchdown via rush, reception and kickoff return during the regular season. Ball State also finished the year bowl eligible for the second-straight season, making an appearance in the TaxAct Camellia Bowl.
Â
During his first year as the assistant head coach, he helped the Cardinals to their first MAC Championship since 1996 after they finished the year with a 7-1 overall mark and a final ranking of No. 23 in the Associated Press and Coaches Polls. His special teams unit ranked second in the MAC in kickoff average and registered a blocked field goal in the MAC Championship game and a blocked punt in the Arizona Bowl.
Â
Since taking over as special teams coordinator in 2016, Ball State has consistently ranked in the top half of the MAC in both kick and punt returns. The Cardinals led the conference in kickoff returns in 2017 and finished in the top three on two other occasions. The punt return unit has been stout as well, finishing in the top three of the MAC multiple times.
Â
Dougherty also made stops at Northwestern University (2013) as the defensive quality control coach, and Lindsey Wilson College (2010-11) as the special teams coordinator and linebackers coach. His coaching career started at Defiance College in 2008, where he coached the defensive line for two seasons.
Â
A 2008 graduate of Ohio Dominican College with a bachelor's degree in business management, Dougherty was a four-year letterman and two-year starter at linebacker for the Panthers, earning three-time academic all-conference accolades during his tenure. He went on to earn a master's degree in sports science from Defiance in 2010.
Dougherty is married to the former Emma Lebovitz of Cleveland, Ohio, and they are the parents of one son, Griffin.
Â
THE PATRICK DOUGHERTY FILE
Hometown: Dayton, Ohio
Education: Ohio Dominican, 2008 (business management) and Defiance, 2010 (sports science)
Wife: Emma
Children: Griffin
Birthday: September 2, 1985
Â
DOUGHERTY'S COACHING CAREER
- 2022-pres. – Duke (Special Teams Coordinator/Tight Ends)
- 2020-21 – Ball State (Assistant Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator/Tight Ends)
- 2016-19 – Ball State (Special Teams Coordinator/Tight Ends)
- 2014-15 – Ball State (Tight Ends/Recruiting Coordinator)
- 2013 – Northwestern (Defensive Quality Control/Linebackers)
- 2012 – Ball State (Graduate Assistant/Offensive Line)
- 2010-11 – Lindsey Wilson College (Special Teams Coordinator/Linebackers)
- 2008-09 – Defiance (Defensive Line)
#GoDuke
Â
Aaron Hall Media Availability: NC State
Tuesday, September 16
Justin Pickett Media Availability: NC State
Tuesday, September 16
Coach Patke Press Conference: NC State
Monday, September 15
Coach Brewer Press Conference: NC State
Monday, September 15
