Former Philadelphia Soul head coach Clint Dolezel has been named the head coach at Texas A&M-Commerce. Dolezel played for the program in 1992 and 1993 when the school was named East Texas State. The Lions inducted Dolezel into the school’s Hall of Fame in 2019. Dolezel coached arena football for 13 seasons but will make his collegiate debut next year.

“It is a dream come true to come back and coach where I played,” Dolezel said in the school’s press release. “I was one of the last line of players to play for East Texas State, and a lot of great things have happened since then. What a beautiful place this has turned into, and I am really excited to be here.”

Dolezel, an Arena Football Hall of Famer for his 931 touchdown passes during his 13-year career as a quarterback in the league, began his coaching career in 2009. He joined the Soul in 2012 as the team’s offensive coordinator under legendary Chicago Bears safety Doug Plank.

Dolezel was hired as the Soul’s head coach the following year and remained in the role for eight seasons. The Soul and the entire Arena Football League folded in 2019, ending Dolezel’s tenure in Philly. He helped lead the Soul to five Arena Bowl appearances and two championships.

Dolezel joined the Frisco Fighters of the Indoor Football League in 2020, but Frisco’s inaugural season was canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Dolezel and the Fighters returned in 2021, posting a 10-3 record and making the IFL semifinals. Dolezel and the Fighters parted ways after the 2021 season.

Texas A&M-Commerce recently finished its first season as an FCS program in the Southland Conference. The Lions had previously played Division II football in the Lone Star Conference. The team posted a 5-6 overall record with a 3-3 conference record this season. Fourth-year head coach David Bailiff and the school parted ways following the season.

Dolezel will look to continue and accelerate the Lions’ jump from Division II to FCS football. He has long-standing routes not only in Texas but also in the A&M-Commerce program. Dolezel mentioned coaching at a private school in Texas during his press conference after the Arena Bowl in 2019.