Early life and education

Dooley grew up in Mobile, Alabama and attended the McGill Institute, administered by the Brothers of the Sacred Heart. Dooley competed on behalf of McGill's athletic teams, known as the Yellow Jackets, and for a few years considered basketball to be his best sport.

Dooley is a graduate of Auburn University (bachelor's degree 1954, Master's in history 1963) where he played college football and later coached under Ralph "Shug" Jordan. Dooley was a member of the Phi Kappa Theta fraternity as an undergraduate at Auburn. He served as an infantry officer in the United States Marine Corps.

Coaching career

After spending the first ten years of his adult life at Auburn, Dooley was hired as head coach at Georgia. In his 25 seasons, he averaged over eight wins a year, won six Southeastern Conference championships (1966, 1968, 1976, 1980, 1981, 1982) and one National Championship in 1980. After the 1980 national championship season, Vince Dooley was offered the head coaching position at Auburn, encouraged by his former Auburn teammate and Alabama Governor Fob James. However, Dooley eventually declined the job, which went to Georgia alumnus Pat Dye. In his first three seasons at Georgia, Vince Dooley went 3-0 versus Georgia Tech's Bobby Dodd. Ironically, Dooley was influenced by Dodd's style and approach to the game, and he was the first recipient of the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award. At the time of his retirement, he was the second-winningest coach in SEC history, behind only Bear Bryant.

Family

Bill Dooley, Vince's younger brother, worked on the Georgia Bulldogs football staff before becoming a notable college Head Coach in his own right at the University of North Carolina (from 1967 to 1977), Virginia Tech (from 1978 to 1986) and Wake Forest (from 1987 to 1992). In the December 1971 Gator Bowl, played in Jacksonville, Florida, the two brothers found themselves on opposing sidelines.

Vince Dooley's son, Derek Dooley, is currently the wide receivers coach for the NFL's Dallas Cowboys. Derek is a former head football coach at both the University of Tennessee (from 2010 to 2012) and Louisiana Tech University (from 2007 to 2009). Derek also served as athletics director during his time at Louisiana Tech (from 2008 to 2010). He is also a former assistant coach for the NFL's Miami Dolphins, the University of Georgia and LSU.

Post-coaching career

After leading UGA to 201 victories, six SEC championships, and one national championship as head football coach, Dooley retired to focus on his post as athletic director, which he had held since 1979. Dooley built Georgia into one of the most successful athletic programs in America. During his time as athletic director he hired current football coach Mark Richt from Florida State University. Dooley briefly pursued the Democratic Party nomination for U.S. Senate in 1986. His wife, the former Barbara Meshad, ran in the Republican Party primary for U.S. House in 2002. Dooley is a member of the Gridiron Secret Society. On December 2, 2009, Kennesaw State University hired Dooley to begin working as a consultant to KSU in the school's drive to start a football program.

Another hobby of Dooley's is gardening, about which he has published a book.

Dooley has also partnered with Mascot Books to publish 2 children's books about the UGA mascot, How 'Bout Them Dawgs! and Hairy Dawg's Journey Through the Peach State.

Dooley currently serves as Vice Chairman of the Board of Curators for the Georgia Historical Society.

Awards and honors

Dooley was inducted in the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in 1978 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1994. He received the Amos Alonzo Stagg Award, presented by the American Football Coaches Association in 2001. In 2004 the U.S. Sports Academy presented Dooley with the Carl Maddox Sport Management Award, an award given annually to an individual for contribution to the growth and development of sports through management practices. Also in 2004 Dooley was inducted into UGA's Circle of Honor, which is the school's highest tribute to former athletes and coaches. In September 2007, Dooley was given the Homer Rice Award, the highest honor given by the Division I-A Athletic Directors Association. In 2007, Dooley was honored as a Star of the South by Irish America magazine.

2011 Georgia Trustee. Given by the Georgia Historical Society, in conjunction with the Governor of Georgia, to individuals whose accomplishments and community service reflect the ideals of the founding body of Trustees, which governed the Georgia colony from 1732 to 1752. During a ceremony onJanuary 25 2013, he was inducted into the Marine Corps Sports Hall of Fame.

Head coaching record

Year	Team	Overall	Conference	Standing	Bowl/playoffs	Coaches#	AP°
Georgia Bulldogs (Southeastern Conference)
1964	Georgia	7-3-1	3-2	5th	W Sun
1965	Georgia	6-4	2-3	8th		15
1966	Georgia	10-1	5-0	T-1st	W Cotton	4	4
1967	Georgia	7-4	3-2	5th	L Liberty	18
1968	Georgia	8-1-2	5-0-1	1st	L Sugar	4	8
1969	Georgia	5-5-1	2-3-1	6th	L Sun
1970	Georgia	5-5	3-3	T-5th
1971	Georgia	11-1	5-1	T-2nd	W Gator	8	7
1972	Georgia	7-4	4-3	5th
1973	Georgia	7-4-1	3-4	T-5th	W Peach
1974	Georgia	6-6	4-2	T-2nd	L Tangerine
1975	Georgia	9-3	5-1	T-2nd	L Cotton	19	19
1976	Georgia	10-2	5-1	1st	L Sugar	10	10
1977	Georgia	5-6	2-4	T-6th
1978	Georgia	9-2-1	5-0-1	2nd	L Astro-Bluebonnet	15	16
1979	Georgia	6-5	5-1	2nd
1980	Georgia	12-0	6-0	1st	W Sugar	1	1
1981	Georgia	10-2	6-0	T-1st	L Sugar	5	6
1982	Georgia	11-1	6-0	1st	L Sugar	4	4
1983	Georgia	10-1-1	5-1	2nd	W Cotton	4	4
1984	Georgia	7-4-1	4-2	T-3rd	T Florida Citrus
1985	Georgia	7-3-2	3-2-1	5th	T Sun
1986	Georgia	8-4	4-2	T-2nd	L Hall of Fame
1987	Georgia	9-3	4-2	T-4th	W Liberty	14	13
1988	Georgia	9-3	5-2	3rd	W Gator	15	15
Georgia:		201-77-10	104-42-4
Total:		201-77-10

[ Source: Wikipedia ]