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Dougherty, Patrick
Patrick Dougherty
- Title:
- Assistant Coach/Special Teams Coordinator/Tight Ends
- Phone:
- (919) 684-2635
Patrick Dougherty joined the Blue Devil gridiron program in January 2022, and serves as the special teams coordinator. Dougherty also coaches Duke’s tight ends.
Under Dougherty’s guidance, Duke ranked first nationally in punt return average (19.92) and 21st in kickoff return defense (17.19). During his first year in Durham, he mentored return specialist Jalon Calhoun and punter Porter Wilson to All-ACC honors. Calhoun led the team with nine punt returns for 113 yards (12.6), while Wilson punted 46 times for 1,984 yards (43.13) and had 16 kicks downed inside the opponent 20-yard line against three touchbacks. Wilson posted the ninth-best single-season punting average in Duke history. Additionally, kick return specialist Jaylen Stinson concluded his junior campaign tied for second in the ACC in kickoff return yards (380) and third in kickoff returns (15).
Dougherty also helped develop tight end Nicky Dalmolin during his first year as Duke’s starter. The Cumming, Ga., native compiled 21 receptions for 170 yards (8.09) with four touchdowns before being sidelined by injury for the final three contests.
Dougherty made 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.
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).
In 2021, 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
DOUGHERTY’S COACHING CAREER
Under Dougherty’s guidance, Duke ranked first nationally in punt return average (19.92) and 21st in kickoff return defense (17.19). During his first year in Durham, he mentored return specialist Jalon Calhoun and punter Porter Wilson to All-ACC honors. Calhoun led the team with nine punt returns for 113 yards (12.6), while Wilson punted 46 times for 1,984 yards (43.13) and had 16 kicks downed inside the opponent 20-yard line against three touchbacks. Wilson posted the ninth-best single-season punting average in Duke history. Additionally, kick return specialist Jaylen Stinson concluded his junior campaign tied for second in the ACC in kickoff return yards (380) and third in kickoff returns (15).
Dougherty also helped develop tight end Nicky Dalmolin during his first year as Duke’s starter. The Cumming, Ga., native compiled 21 receptions for 170 yards (8.09) with four touchdowns before being sidelined by injury for the final three contests.
Dougherty made 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.
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).
In 2021, 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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)
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