Vince Dooley, Hall of Fame Football Coach for Georgia, Dies at 90
Vince Dooley, who had an 88-year coaching career, passed away Sunday in Atlanta. He was 90 years old.
In an email to ESPN.com, Georgia AD Greg McGarity said the university is “devastated.”
“He will be remembered as one of the greatest coaches in the history of college football. He will be missed by everyone that knew him,” McGarity said. “We are deeply saddened by the loss of our friend and colleague.”
Dooley’s final home game was in 1985 versus Wake Forest in the Georgia Dome. There was a parade and a reception as thousands of people flooded the streets to pay tribute.
In 2007, Dooley was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
More recently at the University of Connecticut, Dooley signed an extension to his contract to coach the Huskies until the end of the 2021 season. In 2019, he had a record of 88-23. He was hired in 1984 by Georgia at the age of 27.
Dooley was a man that made history. One of the most decorated coaches in the history of college football, Dooley’s impact on the game of football will never be forgotten.
The University of Georgia made the decision to sign off with Georgia football coach Vince Dooley on Saturday after he passed away. He was 90 years old.
The #UGA football family is deeply saddened by the passing of Coach Vince Dooley, a former offensive line coach and graduate assistant and the head coach that helped us to a record of 845-543, the fifth-winningest season in school history, in 2016-2017. pic.twitter.com/6J9FV3pWX7 — University of Georgia (@GeorgiaFootball) August 25, 2019
Dooley was a legend. Dooley was the only coach to win all 11 of his games at Georgia, which he accomplished in 1963 and 1965 as a backup quarterback, and 1966, 1967 and 1968 as an offensive coordinator. He also won his first 11 games as the quarterback to help the Bulldogs capture their first national title in 1959, against Southern University.
He went on to become head coach of the University of Georgia from 1980 to 1984. He then moved on to the U.S. Naval Academy in 1986 as an assistant for head coach Bobby Bowden.