Legendary Georgia football coach Vince Dooley dead at 90

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - Legendary Georgia Bulldogs coach Vince Dooley is dead at 90.

Dooley is the winningest coach in Georgia Bulldogs history. He racked up 201 victories as head coach from 1964 to 1988, including six SEC titles and the 1980 national championship. Those 201 wins make him the 18th-winningest coach in college football history. He also served as the Georgia athletic director from 1979 to 2004.

Vince Dooley was born Sept. 4, 1932 in Mobile, Ala. Dooley was a two-sport player in high school, leading McGill Catholic High’s basketball team to the state finals twice and winning the city championship with the football team. Auburn coach Ralph “Shug” Jordan recruited to play both sports. An injury cut his basketball career short, but Dooley played quarterback for the Auburn Tigers from 1951 to 1953. He was also Auburn’s offensive coordinator from 1956 to 1963 before taking the head coaching job at Georgia and never looking back. He would spend the rest of his life as a Georgia Bulldog.

His greatest successes came during his time coaching Herschel Walker from 1980 to 1982. Georgia won three straight SEC titles during Walker’s career, including the 1980 national title. The Dawgs only lost three games during that span.

As athletic director, Dooley built Georgia athletics into a powerhouse; Georgia programs won 23 national titles and 78 SEC during his tenure. The Bulldogs also finished within the top 10 of what is now the Directors’ Cup five times.

His biggest hit was hiring Mark Richt in 2001, who steered the Bulldogs football team to 145 victories over 14 years.

Dooley is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame, the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame and the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame.

Dooley was hospitalized with COVID Oct. 8 but was released two days later. He is survived by his wife Barbara and their four children.

Copyright 2022 WANF. All rights reserved.