Vince Dooley: Joy from Georgia’s rise, pain from son’s firing
Vince Dooley's joy for Georgia's resurgence took a hit with his son's firing. (Brant Sanderlin/AJC)
On Sunday, when everybody associated with Georgia football was still basking in the afterglow of the season’s 10th victory and the anticipation of a dramatic flip at the top in the BCS standings, the Dooleys of Athens received a phone call from their son, Derek.
“I knew it was going to happen,” Vince Dooley said. “I felt for sure it was going to happen. Then on Sunday when he contacted us and told us, it was difficult. You hurt for your family. You hurt for your son.”
Seldom do the extreme highs and lows of competitive athletics collide like this.
Dooley hired Mark Richt and watched him win two SEC championships in his first five seasons. He saw the program slip back for a couple of seasons and Richt try to navigate through “crises” while four other SEC schools won six national championships and so many called for the coach’s head. Now the Bulldogs are more than relevant again. A second consecutive SEC title game berth awaits, a No. 3 national ranking provides a tease for something even greater and Richt has been listed as a national coach-of-the-year candidate.
“Coaching has always been about surviving a series of crises,” Dooley said Tuesday. “In Mark’s case, he had a charmed life. He didn’t have a lot of criticism until a couple of years ago. So I’m very pleased to see how he’s responded to that. He needed to right the ship and get back to the high standards again, and he’s done that. That doesn’t mean he won’t have another series of crises to deal with again one day. He will. Because once you get up there, you’ll always have crises.”
Derek Dooley told Vince that coaching the final game would be a distraction for the team. (Brant Sanderlin/AJC)
Tennessee allowed Derek Dooley three years of crises, then they fired him. It didn’t matter that the program was in a crises when the younger Dooley was hired. Lane Kiffin had bolted, and the school pointed to a burning building and told Dooley, “Fix it. Fast.” That was too great a feat for any coach to accomplish, let alone one making the leap from Louisiana Tech to the SEC, his genes notwithstanding.
But Vince Dooley understands the reality of coaching today: A man doesn’t go 4-19 in the SEC at programs like Tennessee and survive.
“I knew the situation,” he said. “They came very close in some big ballgames that unfortunately they didn’t win. I know [Tennessee athletic director] Dave Hart personally. He anguished over this. But in light of the situation I understand the decision. Frank Beamer at Virginia Tech in his first six seasons had 24 wins and 40 losses. In his sixth year he won two games. But until this season he was one of the winningest coaches in football. Coaches don’t get that
kind of time any more.”
Dooley said he had only one question for his son: Why was he not going to coach Tennessee’s final game at Kentucky?
“Derek said he requested that because he felt he would be distraction,” Dooley said. “He said all of the speculation about his job was a distraction before the Vanderbilt game and he felt that hurt the team (a 41-18 loss), so he didn’t want that to happen again. Once he said that, I admired his decision. I felt it was important to get that out because it’s not like they didn’t want him around.”
Barbara Dooley has taken firing the hardest, Vince said. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)
Anybody close to Georgia football knows how much Vince and Barbara wanted their son to succeed. Dad would catch Tennessee’s game on television in press boxes around the SEC while traveling with the Bulldogs. Mom attended games in Knoxville, dressed in orange. When the schools met, Barbara never was conflicted.
“That’s my baby, and I’m pulling for Tennessee. If the Georgia people don’t understand that, then I just don’t get it,” she once said.
Barbara politely declined to speak Tuesday.
“It’s been difficult, especially on my wife, who takes things harder than I do,” Vince said. “That’s her baby. I told her it will take a while for the pain to go away. She’s hurting more than [Derek]. He’s handling it better than she is.”
Three more victories would heal a lot of wounds. Georgia has three games left: It’s a local rival (Georgia Tech), the SEC championship (Alabama) and a bowl game (in the Utopian experience of two more wins, it’s the BCS Championship game in Miami).
Dooley has been down this road before. He knows Richt is concerned that players’ minds might be on matters not related to the Georgia Tech game. That’s a danger, regardless of what the fans, the alumni, the media and the oddsmakers say.
Dooley, who hired Richt, happy that the coach has "righted the ship" at Georgia. (Joey Ivansco/AJC)
“Back in 1980 when we were undefeated before the Georgia Tech game, I had a player from the 1927 team talk to the players how they were in the same situation and ended up losing to Georgia Tech in the final game,” Dooley said. “It can happen — it has happened. You have people see that Tech maybe doesn’t have the direction Georgia does and you find yourself looking beyond this week, and that rubs off on players. As a coach, that worries you.”
With Vince Dooley, you always get a story. If it’s not about the Georgia team that went 9-0 in 1927 before losing to Tech 12-0, it’s about Charley Trippi coming back from World War II in 1945. Trippi was invoked when Dooley was asked about the Dogs’ early-season struggles with injuries and suspensions, even after four players returned.
“When Charley Trippi came out of the military, all the players expected he was going to be some Superman, and when he came back the rest of the team just sort of watched him,” he said. “They played LSU, and they just annihilated Trippi. It took a while for that team to respond to crisis. But they eventually did, and so did this team. I know it was devastating playing South Carolina and laying an egg there, and then playing poorly at Kentucky, although I did that plenty of times. But going down and beating Florida was big, and now here they are. I’m really pleased for the whole program and particularly for Mark, since [hiring him] was one of my last decisions.”
He’ll try to focus on that and let time heal everything else.
By Jeff Schultz
Kick bit and pull up a blog . . .
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• Georgia’s new reality: From on the brink to BCS title possibility
• Upsets launch Georgia into BCS title picture (updated game column)
• Short takes: Murray wakes up the offense
• Weekend Predictions: Dogs, Jackets, Falcons and the lust triangles
• Falcons’ flaws aren’t worse than any other NFL team
• College hoop kings provide rare thrills for Atlanta
• Falcons’ startling admission: Ray Edwards was a blunder
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467 comments Add your comment
GTBob
November 20th, 2012
1:37 pm
That’s right. No one. No one except for all of the coaches around the country including one who believes UGA is #1. That’s hardly anybody. You’re right Bobby.
The rankings have little to do with how good anyone thinks anyone is. Do you really think the coaches around the country are now fully convinced that UGA is a better team than Oregon because Oregon lost in overtime to a now top 10 team?
Steve
November 20th, 2012
1:37 pm
Tech “fans” especially GT Bob on Saturday and on December 1:
Tech beats UGA – “I told you UGA was overrated. We are the SEC East Champs!”
UGA beats Tech – “Of course UGA beat Tech. We are awful and were supposed to lose.”
Bama beats UGA – “I told you UGA was overrated.”
UGA beats Bama – “Wow you beat a team who lost at home to A&M. Bama is way overrated.”
Sound about right nerds? Can’t win with the uneducated.
JustMe
November 20th, 2012
1:37 pm
He’s probably laughing all the way to the Bank. I would be.
GTBob
November 20th, 2012
1:39 pm
GTBob – “no one” thinks UGA can win? You might want to check out ESPN, sweetheart.
Is ESPN publicly picking UGA to beat Alabama?
Thomas Brown
November 20th, 2012
1:40 pm
You have more Asian men than you have women. You do not have more blacks. You have a significant number of no tuition foreigners. You do not have very many whites, as reported by GTBoob here.
Rick James
November 20th, 2012
1:40 pm
Derek Dooley will receive $102,000 per month for the next four years for stepping into that mess at Tennesse.He’ll be fine.
Bryan G.
November 20th, 2012
1:40 pm
GTBob – You’re right. No one thinks UGA is #3. You know, except all 3 major polls.
Red Stick
November 20th, 2012
1:40 pm
Jeff, I don’t see how Richt can be considered as a coach of the year candidate when Georgia has only played 2 ranked teams this season. I know the SEC makes the conference schedule, but the Dogs have avoided having to play Alabama, LSU, A&M and MS State.
He should have gone 11-1 this season and I said as much in the off-season. I will give him credit for living up to expectations thus far, which is easier said than done.
Meanwhile, LSU has played 6 teams that were ranked at the time they played them with 5 of them currently ranked with MS State just outside the top 25 and one win away from a 9-3 season.
I’m glad the new playoff committee will take into account strength of schedule in 2014 like the NCAA basketball committee does.
Geaux Tigers
Go SEC
Eric
November 20th, 2012
1:40 pm
Obviously, Derek Dooley isn’t cut out to be a college head coach. His teams lose way too much.
But, he’s a great guy, and a solid recruiter, and can wind up as an offensive coordinator eventually for a team, if he still wants to coach.
GTBob
November 20th, 2012
1:41 pm
Ill tell you what Steve. If UGA somehow pulls the miracle upset and beats UGA then I will come on here and give UGA their due. Until then I am going to assume you are overrated until you prove otherwise.
South Carolina UGA AUM
November 20th, 2012
1:41 pm
GT BOB – Please quit embarrassing yourself by posting inane comments on this UGA blog. Do you really live vicariously based on UGA shortcomings?? About UGA’s schedule – we play Alabama in less than two weeks. Let that game speak for itself and for UGA’s team. If we win, which I think we will – you cannot slam our schedule. Oh, don’t we play Georgia Tech??? Isn’t that an oxymoron to your comment about relevancy? Post back – if you need definitions for any of the above terms
Thomas Brown
November 20th, 2012
1:42 pm
GTBoob :
_________________________________________________________
“The rankings have little to do with how good anyone thinks anyone is.”
_________________________________________________________
That one ranks up there GTBoob.
DawginSewer
November 20th, 2012
1:44 pm
We isses loses byes 70 toheses bamers.
beanster
November 20th, 2012
1:44 pm
“Do you really think the coaches around the country are now fully convinced that UGA is a better team than Oregon because Oregon lost in overtime to a now top 10 team?”
You’re right again, Bobby. I think the coaches intentionally lie on their ballots just to irritate Tech fans like yourself. It’s a grand conspiracy. And really, what do the coaches know anyway? Clearly not as much as you.
Steve
November 20th, 2012
1:44 pm
Didn’t know UGA was playing UGA. Neat!
Joey
November 20th, 2012
1:45 pm
Your boy didn’t get your Head Coaching gene, Vince.
Downtown Dave
November 20th, 2012
1:45 pm
Georgia State meet your new coach. Derek Dooley! You both can grow up together and your new coach does not have to worry about getting paid thanks to UT.
Rick James
November 20th, 2012
1:45 pm
@GTBob
The rankings have little to do with how good anyone thinks anyone is. Do you really think the coaches around the country are now fully convinced that UGA is a better team than Oregon because Oregon lost in overtime to a now top 10 team?
———————————————————————————————————————————-
If Georgia went through an entire season with no losses and won the national title in your eyes they wouldnt be any good..Understand Bob us Georgia fans are as obsessed with UGA football as much as you are.We’re just not in the closet like you are..
GTBob
November 20th, 2012
1:45 pm
GTBob – You’re right. No one thinks UGA is #3. You know, except all 3 major polls.
In that case you think all of the coaches and writers in America believe that Notre Dame is the best team in the country and would beat anyone they played?
Thomas Brown
November 20th, 2012
1:47 pm
“The rankings have little to do with how good anyone thinks anyone is.” Uh, huh. Everyone really thinks Georgie tek is going to beat UGA whom you are 1 of 11 vs our coach, FSU whom you’ve lost 10 in a row to when FSU had 10-Win season like this year, and win your 1st bowl game after losing 7 in a row. Tell me, GTBoob, what are the Top 25 Polls if not to tell us how good we think the team is ?
I can’t wait to hear this reply.
DixieDawg
November 20th, 2012
1:47 pm
Derek will land a job soon enough. Vince & Richt = 2 Great Dawgs!
GTBob
November 20th, 2012
1:48 pm
And really, what do the coaches know anyway? Clearly not as much as you.
The coaches poll is a complete sham. How many games do you think coaches watch every weekend? They tend to be busy with other things on Saturdays. They make their vote based on the teams they play and what espn tells them to do.
Thomas Brown
November 20th, 2012
1:50 pm
“You’re right again, GTBoob. I think the polls intentionally lie on their ballots just to irritate Tech fans like yourself. It’s a grand conspiracy.”
____________________________
Good one.
GTBob
November 20th, 2012
1:50 pm
Everyone really thinks Georgie tek is going to beat UGA whom you are 1 of 11 vs our coach, FSU whom you’ve lost 10 in a row to
We have lost 10 in a row to FSU?
vols deep
November 20th, 2012
1:52 pm
Derek cleaned things up within the UT program behind the scenes. He didn’t run our program into the groud like the previous two guys….I’d like to believe he’s laid a pretty good foundation for the next guy. I wished they wouldv’e won in Knoxville but you can’t go 2-14 in SEC (with 2 wins over Vandy) and then get beat by Vandy 41-18.
Everyone in the SEC can empathize with the situation including Vince.
Richt could go 4-8 next yr and get fired. Not saying it will happen but if it did…..
DD is a class act and everyone in Vol country wishes him the best.
Rick James
November 20th, 2012
1:52 pm
@GTBob
MTSU and BYU would have been two of the toughest games on UGA’s schedule this year.
————————————————————————————————————————-
Kentucky and Tennesee were tough games but they werent losses..MTSU and BYU were losses for Tech.By the way the state’s top cornerback committed to Georgia today but I’m sure you know that and think the coaching staff had nothing to do with it..I didnt see Tech in his top 3 finalist..I know,its an academic thing right?
Ed
November 20th, 2012
1:53 pm
I admire the Dooleys greatly, but wouldn’t mind experiencing some of their “pain.” Derek Dooley is a competitor and no doubt wanted to be a coaching success like his dad, but I can think of a few million reasons why he’ll probably get over his firing, fast.
Besides, a multi-million dollar buyout and a family name that is known throughout the south would probably allow him to hit the ground running if he wanted to start a new law practice.
GTBob
November 20th, 2012
1:53 pm
Guys, I’m sorry I’ve been so annoying today. I’m just in a bad mood, the girl I met on J-Date stood me up for our dinner date. I sat there waiting for her for 2 hours. Mom says its her loss though, doesn’t know what she’s missing…
Thomas Brown
November 20th, 2012
1:54 pm
GTBob November 20th, 2012 1:41 pm
“Ill tell you what Steve. If UGA somehow pulls the miracle upset and beats UGA then I will come on here and give UGA their due. Until then I am going to assume you are overrated until you prove otherwise.”
____________________________
That will be pretty hard for us to do. Only Georgie tek can make a team play them when they do not even have a team, have not even played any games, and disbanded football the year before in 1916, like Cumberland.
As for making us play ourselves, what on TV ? Should we play Aaron Murray on only 1 of the UGA teams ? Do we put Todd Gurley on the other team ? What about Alec Ogletree and Jarvis Jones ? Just put 1 on one team, and 1 on the other ?
Are you celebrating Thanksgiving already ?
GTBob
November 20th, 2012
1:54 pm
Tell me, GTBoob, what are the Top 25 Polls if not to tell us how good we think the team is ?
The top 25 polls basically list teams in order by how many games they have lost. For teams with the same number of losses, they are ranked according to when they lost. The rankings are also influenced by preseason polls that are based off of nothing in particular. There is your definition of the top 25 polls.
Les W. Moore
November 20th, 2012
1:55 pm
Derek Dooley is probably as good of a head coach as Mark Richt. The difference in the two is the recruitng bases. Mark Richt can step outside his office, throw a rock, and hit 15 four star high school players who want to play at the state school. Not so in Tennessee.
Derek Dooley and Mark Richt are both underachievers. Dooley for his losing record. Richt for not winning 12 every year.
pb
November 20th, 2012
1:56 pm
GT Bob,
“If UGA somehow beats UGA”? Come on, Bob, you are typing too fast ! But you are right, UGA is only #3 because Oregon and K State lost. But that is how the polls work. So if they somehow beat Alabama, you will then give them credit? Hope so ! Least you can do… Have a nice Thanskgiving anyway.
GTBob
November 20th, 2012
1:56 pm
By the way the state’s top cornerback committed to Georgia today but I’m sure you know that and think the coaching staff had nothing to do with it.
Was it any different before Richt got there? Do you think recruiting will collapse after Richt leaves? Sometimes you have to accept that the name and culture of the school are much more important to recruiting then the coach could ever be.
Resident Georgia Fan
November 20th, 2012
1:57 pm
@ GTBob .. you are an expert on losing … bug face!
GTBob
November 20th, 2012
1:57 pm
If UGA somehow beats Alabama. You guys got me on that one. It wasn’t my first typo and won’t be my last.
Bruce Mac
November 20th, 2012
1:58 pm
GTBob, what you say has merit. It is the system sir. We didn’t invent it just trying to live in it. You nor anyone else knows how UGA would fair against Oregon or Notre Dame or Bama for that matter. We have beaten everyone on the schedule save one. Deal with it, you just look petty and jealous with your comments. You do realize that Florida is number 4 in the country. You also do realize you won the Tangerine Bowl to finish your MNC season in 1990. Was that impressive or what? It is what it is. By end of year we will see what we will see.
GTBob 's top
November 20th, 2012
2:02 pm
Do we have to go over this everyday? When I get home I am gonna wear ou out
Ed
November 20th, 2012
2:04 pm
If the Dawgs somehow win out and can claim that they beat two #2 teams (Florida and Alabama) and the #1 ranked team (Notre Dame, probably), then Tech fans might grudgingly admit that Richt almost did a half-decent job against so-so competition.
Of course, beating Tech yet again won’t win Richt any points with Tech fans. At least they aren’t delusional about THEIR place in the hierarchy of CFB.
St Simons
November 20th, 2012
2:05 pm
Hire him now for Coach Belin spot, or wherever we can put him. Get him
He’ll be our coach when Mark hangs it up, and a good one.
Thomas Brown
November 20th, 2012
2:05 pm
___________________________________________________________________
“FSU whom you’ve lost 10 in a row to when FSU had 10-Win season like this year”
___________________________________________________________________
Are you impaired in some fashion, not readily apparent GTBoob ?
9/13/2003@Florida State (10-3) L 13 -14
9/9/2000vs.Florida State (11-2) L 21-26
9/11/1999@Florida State (12-0) L 35-41
10/24/1998vs.Florida State (11-2) L 7-34
10/18/1997@Florida State (11-1) L 0-38
11/2/1996vs.Florida State (11-1) L 3-49
10/21/1995@Florida State (10-2) L 10-42
11/5/1994vs.Florida State (10-1-1)L 10-41
10/2/1993@Florida State (12-1) L 0-51
10/17/1992vs.Florida State (11-1) L 24-29
The last 10 times in a row Georgie tek has played Florida State when Florida State had a 10-Win season, as they have already 2012, you LOST.
You not only lost the last 10 in a row to FSU when they put-up 10-Win Seasons, but you lost by an average score of 12 to 37.
I predict you lose 12-37.
briley parkway
November 20th, 2012
2:09 pm
With Vince helping to get the program started at Kennesaw State, you have to wonder if that might be the next landing spot for Derek
Greg
November 20th, 2012
2:09 pm
2:01 pm
The ONLY reason Tech is in the ACC title game is because Miami self imposed. Tech did not earn their way into the title game like UGA did. UGA had to beat UF, Ole Miss, Aub and not stumble once to get in and we earned it.
Who has Tech beaten? Let’s see…Presbyterian, Virginia, Boston College, Maryland (who had a LB playing QB), North Carolina and Duke. Wow! And somehow they think they’re going to beat UGA who will be the best team they’ve faced by FAR.
Rick James
November 20th, 2012
2:09 pm
@GTBob
Was it any different before Richt got there? Do you think recruiting will collapse after Richt leaves? Sometimes you have to accept that the name and culture of the school are much more important to recruiting then the coach could ever be
——————————————————————————————————————————-
Really?? I guess thats why Auburn and Tennesee recruits are decomitting.The culture is changing instead of the coaching staff being fired.Right Bob
Thomas Brown
November 20th, 2012
2:10 pm
___________________________________________________________
“At least they aren’t delusional about THEIR place in the hierarchy of CFB.”
___________________________________________________________
Oh, yeah, they are. That’s the whole entire point. The # 36 national university # 38 in football won/lost starting 1957 who has won 1 Major Bowl Game starting 1957, on NCAA Probation, with less than half their highest GPA and highest SAT score football players whom they get even get to graduate, none of whom are engineers obviously. And, they think they are great, and they firmly believe we aren’t.
Thomas Brown
November 20th, 2012
2:11 pm
who has NOT won 1 Major Bowl Game starting 1957
The Ghost of Wally Butts
November 20th, 2012
2:12 pm
Derek Dooley has more integrity in his last body function product than Lane Kiffen has in his entire body.
Kiffen can’t carry Dooley’s J*ck strap on integrity.
Only trouble is…..integrity and a losing season will rent you a U-Haul for your family’s exodus from town….while winning absolves all sins.
Cdpridg
November 20th, 2012
2:13 pm
Gt bob…you seem antsy…nervous…..ready for the jar???
One flew over the Cukoos
November 20th, 2012
2:14 pm
Another session of “GT Bob” and his stooges.
The Ghost of Wally Butts
November 20th, 2012
2:14 pm
Jeff,
Wonder if any of you guys have the comments that Dooley made at the press conference when firing Ray Goff. His comments on the reality of being a nice guy but an unsucessful coach were probably the best summary of life as an SEC coach that I’ve ever heard.
Joe
November 20th, 2012
2:16 pm
“One win over a decent team in the last 4 years and UGA is more than relevant?”
LOL! Tech hasn’t had a single win worth a damn in ages, despite playing in a laughable conference. So you really need to shut it as your football program has been irrelevant for 60 years.