When Saicho went down to Togoku, Dochu had already died and his sect had been led by Kochi (his date of birth and death unknown), but Encho (771 – 836) who later became Tendai-zasu (head priest of the Tendai sect), Ennin (794 – 864), Anne (794 – 868) and so on were originally the disciples of Dochu or the disciples of Kochi and they were apprenticed to Saicho through Dochu, which means that Dochu played a very important role in the early stage of the Tendai sect.
最澄が東国へ下った際には、すでに道忠は没した後で教団は広智（生没年不明）が率いる状態であったが、後に天台座主となった円澄（771年-836年）や円仁（794年-864年）・安慧（794年-868年）らは、もともと道忠の弟子もしくは孫弟子（広智の弟子）であり、道忠との縁から最澄に入門したなど、道忠は初期の天台教団の中で、非常に重要な役割を果たしていた存在であった。