THE DOUGHERTY FILE

PERSONAL

Hometown: Dayton, Ohio
Education: Ohio Dominican, 2008 (business management) and Defiance, 2010 (sports science)
Wife: Emma
Children: Griffin and Josephine

COACHING RESUME

2008-09: Defiance (Defensive Line)
2010-11: Lindsey Wilson College (Special Teams Coordinator/Linebackers)
2012: Ball State (Graduate Assistant/Offensive Line)
2013: Northwestern (Defensive Quality Control/Linebackers)
2014-15: Ball State (Tight Ends/Recruiting Coordinator)
2016-19: Ball State (Special Teams Coordinator/Tight Ends)
2020-21: Ball State (Assistant Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator/Tight Ends)
2022-23: Duke (Special Teams Coordinator/Tight Ends)
2024-: Texas A&M (Special Teams Coordinator)

POSTSEASON EXPERIENCE

2012: Ball State (Beef O'Brady's)
2020: Ball State (Arizona)
2021: Ball State (Camellia)
2022: Duke (Military)
2023: Duke (Birmingham)

Patrick Dougherty joined the Aggie football program in January 2024 as the special teams coordinator. Dougherty served as the special teams coordinator and tight ends coach under head coach Mike Elko at Duke for the 2022 and 2023 seasons.

In his first year in Aggieland, Dougherty's special teams unit finished the year among the top-35 in the nation in yards per punt (43.9), field goal percentage (83.3) and field goals (20). Punter Tyler White was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team and a semifinalist for the Ray Guy Award, while kicker Randy Bond was tabbed as a Lou Groza Award semifinalist. The Maroon & White finished the 2024 season with an 8-5 record, including a program-best 5-0 start to SEC play, and closed things out in the Las Vegas Bowl.

In 2023, Dougherty coached one of the nation’s top punters in Porter Wilson who ranked ninth in the FBS averaging 46.3 yards per punt. Wilson booted 22 punts of 50-plus yards, while pinning 20 punts inside the red zone on 54 kicks. He finished the season as a Ray Guy Award semifinalist, while earning First Team All-ACC recognition and Phil Steele All-America honors. As a unit, the Blue Devils ranked second in the nation in net punting average (43.5). In 13 games, Duke allowed 54 punt return yards which was the seventh-fewest yards relinquished in the country with at least 55 punts.

During his first year in Durham, Duke ranked first nationally in punt return average (19.9) and 21st in kickoff return defense (17.2). Wilson earned All-ACC honors averaging 43.1 yards per boot, while Jalon Calhoun garnered All-ACC recognition as a return specialist averaging 12.6 yards on nine returns. 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).

Prior to his time at Duke, Dougherty had an eight-year stint at Ball State from 2014-21. Dougherty was elevated to assistant head coach for the last two seasons, while maintaining special teams coordinator and tight ends coaching duties (2016-19). He began his time there as a tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator (2014-15). During his time at Ball State, Dougherty coached six players to 10 All-Mid-American Conference honors.

In 2021, Dougherty mentored return specialist Justin Hall, who broke the program record for career all-purpose yards with 5,359. Hall was one of seven players in the country in 2021 to score a rushing, receiving and kickoff return touchdown during the regular season.

During his first year as the assistant head coach, he helped the Cardinals to their first MAC Championship since 1996 after they finished 2020 with a 7-1 overall mark and a final ranking of No. 23 in the AP 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.

Dougherty was also on staff at Ball State for the 2012 season as a graduate assistant before making a stop at Northwestern in 2013 as the defensive quality control coach, and after 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 academic all-conference accolades. 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 a son, Griffin, and daughter, Josephine.