A Renaissance Legend

Vince Dooley was a titan, a mountain, a giant, unquestionably
one of the most important, influential, transcendent, significant
and successful figures in the history of University of Georgia.
JEFF DANTZLER
@jeffdantzlerTV
When Vince Dooley arrived
in Athens, soon to be
announced as the new
football coach at the
University of Georgia, he was told by
none other than fellow Bulldog immortal
Dan Magill not to leave his hotel room,
for fear of being recognized around
town and the proverbial cat being out of
the bag.
“I could have walked around Athens
with a name tag that said ‘hello, I’m
Vince Dooley,’ and no one would have
known who in the world I was,” the
soon to be famed football coach often
recounted.
In fact, when University of Georgia
President O.C. Aderhold was discussing
Dooley at his introductory press
conference, he forgot his name, and
referred to him as that “bright young
head coach.”
Joel Eaves, one of his mentors from
Auburn, had been hired as Georgia’s
athletics director - on November 22,
1963 no less - and was keen on the
young Dooley as the Bulldogs next
head football coach. So he brought on
Auburn’s freshman football coach to be
Georgia’s head football coach.
At the time, Vincent Joseph Dooley was
31 years old.
At the time, Georgia was in a bad place.
Can you imagine if there had been a
Dawgvent in those days?
The Bulldogs had experienced three
straight losing seasons on the heels
of an awful decade that thankfully
concluded with the 1959 Southeastern
Conference championship. It was an
oasis of glory in the midst of a desert of
disappointment that ran from the 1950s
up to Dooley’s arrival prior to the 1964
football season. There were long losing
stretches to both Florida and the Yellow
Jackets. Interest, money, support, and
attendance, so grand during the glory
days of the 1940s with Wally Butts, Frank
Sinkwich, Charley Trippi and Johnny
Rauch, had evaporated.
It was a dark era.
Magill and Bill Hartman held things
together for Georgia, and then finally
with Eaves hiring of Dooley prior to the
1964 season, the Bulldogs got the jolt
they needed.
The success was immediate, and the
direction of Georgia football took a
dramatic upwards trajectory.
As my friend, the acclaimed writer
Darrell Huckaby once told me, “Georgia
football before Vince Dooley was like
rock and roll before Elvis.”
His career and accomplishments
are universally known in the world of
college sports. As a head coach, he
led Georgia to six SEC titles, the 1980
national championship, 20 bowl games
and outstanding records against both
the Yellow Jackets and Gators. Under
Dooley’s watch, Georgia went 19-6
against the North Avenue Trade School,
and 17-7-1 versus Florida, never losing
back-to-back years to the Gators.
In the early 1980s, Georgia reached its
greatest pinnacle, capturing the national
championship, winning three straight
SEC crowns and posting a 43-4-1 four
year record from ‘80-’83.
His career as Georgia’s athletics director
was equally impressive to his football
resume, as a slew of the coaches and
administrators he and Magill brought
(or kept) on board have led Bulldog
teams and individuals to dozens of
national championships, hundreds of
SEC crowns and countless moments of
pride and Glory to Ole Georgia. Three
of his coaching hires - Manuel Diaz,
Jeff Wallace and Chris Haack - are still
thriving. As is the world’s greatest Sports
Information Director Claude Felton,
who along with Jack Bauerle and Andy
Landers comprised Dooley’s first three
major hires as Georgia’s A.D.
His first two coordinators for the
Bulldogs football team were Erk Russell
and brother Bill Dooley.
Dooley and Magill also hired Larry
Munson.
Man did he recognize talent.
From 1964 through 2004, he built
Georgia into one of the most, wellrespected
college sports empires in the
country. The ultimate testament to his
slew of successes is Sanford Stadium,
where the playing field bears his name.
When Dooley was hired as Georgia’s
head football coach, Sanford Stadium
sat 36,000 people. Dooley Field at
Sanford Stadium now holds over 92,000
spectators.
His fingerprints are all over everything
great about Georgia.
It has also been well documented
that Vince Dooley was a man of many
talents. He was incredibly bright. From
the Dooley Library Fund to his historical
endeavors and renowned horticultural
expertise - there is a hydrangea plant
named for him - just to name a few, he
was a true renaissance man.
Faith and family were the cornerstones
of his life and success. Barbara was
his co-pilot. Their children and
grandchildren were the victories that
gave the Dooley’s their greatest joy.
When he passed away peacefully at
the age of 90 on October 28, there was
a sudden hurt, sadness and tremendous
sense of loss. Soon those tears would
turn to smiles, recounting the countless
accomplishments of an extraordinary
life. The man who meant, and will
always mean, so much to so many leaves
a lasting legacy. For parts of seven
different decades, he cast an enormous
shadow throughout a vast and loving
extended family, the Bulldog Nation.
The vision of him embracing Kirby
Smart in Indianapolis after Georgia
defeated Alabama on January 10 to
capture the Bulldogs first national title
since 1980 will forever resonate. We’re
all so thankful he got to be a part of that
grand night of Bulldog glory.
Vince Dooley was a titan, a mountain,
a giant, unquestionably one of the most
important, influential, transcendent,
significant and successful figures in the
history of University of Georgia.
Vince Dooley led a life to be celebrated
every day.
He was the embodiment of the
Bulldogs.
We all miss him.
We’ll never forget him.
BULLDAWGILLUSTRATED 12 ISSUE FOURTEEN • GEORGIA TECH