UGA extremes: Dooley and Donnan
There’ve been some odd juxtapositions in Bulldogs-related news this week worthy of comment: longtime College Football Hall of Fame member Vince Dooley receiving the Bear Bryant Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Heart Association, former UGA coach Jim Donnan getting inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame’s “divisional” class for his 1-AA success at Marshall before coming to Georgia, and quarterback-turned-trainwreck Quincy Carter, formerly of the Dogs, being arrested yet again in Texas on a probation violation.
OK, first Dooley. The only surprising thing about his honor, previously given to the likes of Barry Switzer, Tom Osborne and Bo Schembechler, is that they’re just getting around to it. Dooley, only the ninth coach in NCAA Division 1 history to win more than 200 games, has always been one of the classiest guys in his field and won six SEC titles and a national championship. I know there’s a faction of fandom that associates Dooley with a less exciting three-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust brand of football, but to them I say: flea-flicker, shoestring, Appleby-to-Washington and … you get the point. There was plenty of exciting football during Dooley’s time as coach, and while the Dogs might not have been the most successful program of his era, they were consistently good and occasionally great over 25 years, no mean achievement. And as athletic director, he built one of the nation’s most successful sports programs overall.
I’ll just take this opportunity again to say that I look forward to the day, after Michael Adams is gone, when Dooley can be properly honored by UGA adding his name to the stadium or field.
Donnan? Well, if a six-year career at Marshall that resulted in a 64-21 record with four trips to the 1-AA title game and one national championship is considered Hall of Fame material, so be it. But I’m with T Kyle King (no relation) of the Dawg Sports blog, who took umbrage at Donnan’s post-award announcement comments in which he seemed to reach for a bit of credit for doing “some good things” during his time at UGA that “got it started” for Mark Richt. As King put it: “Jim Donnan made few, if any, contributions to Georgia football which were both enduring and valuable” aside from redshirting David Greene. “It seems to me that everything Coach Donnan started was something Mark Richt had to fix, whether it was running off [Quincy] Carter, booting Jasper Sanks off the team, implementing meaningful player discipline, instituting mat drills, halting the losing streak to the Yellow Jackets, or winning games consistently against meaningful opposition.” No argument here.
Which brings us to one of the sadder chapters in recent college or pro sports history. Carter, who originally had signed with Georgia Tech before deciding to try pro baseball and then changing his mind and deciding to play college football at UGA, was an unquestionably talented but raw athlete who needed developing and nurturing. But he didn’t get it from Donnan, who having fallen head over heels in love with Carter at QB, installed him as a freshman starter, ran off all the other talented quarterbacks on the roster, and then proceeded to teach Carter nothing (not even which foot to throw off) while ignoring all the rumors floating around Athens about habits that would later lead to the self-destruction of Carter’s pro career.
While his work at Marshall might be worthy of the College Football Hall of Fame, Donnan’s mishandling of Carter alone makes him deserving of the Hall of Infamy at the Division 1 level.
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
97 comments Add your comment
Pi$$onaDAWG
May 14th, 2009
10:55 am
Great Bill is this now your last post? I will tip a Jack & Ice to you sir. Q had to go to UGA after baseball because after years of not hitting the books he would have flunked out after a sem. at Tech. That is not a hit on UGA it is a hit on Q. Donnan & Goff are bylines in UGA football history much like Lewis & Fulture are bylines in Tech football history. I liked you time on the BLOG and again best wishes and hope you remembered well your mom on this Mother’s Day.
Blindog
May 14th, 2009
11:00 am
Nice work Bill. I have always enjoyed your blogs. You really make ME look good when I’m informing my friends what you teach me in your articles. Keep up the good work. Thanks.
Huh?
May 14th, 2009
11:12 am
I didn’t read all that in to Donnan’s comments. He gave Richt credit for taking things to the “next level.” And its not like Richt was taking over some 1-11 horrible trainwreck of a football program. He inherited a solid program. The talent was already there for him to succeed. He probably wouldn’t have came here otherwise. Donnan was a good guy and a good (not great) coach. He just didn’t have the moxy to take things to the “next level” and I bet he knows that.
Cuz
May 14th, 2009
11:13 am
Even with Adams gone, I don’t know if Dooley will get his name on the stadium. I am not a big fan of hyphened stadiums so I have reversed my feelings when Dooley was declined the extra year. Now I am for keeping the Sanford by itself. And Coach Dooley is one of the best that I ever met in the UGA football program. He always had time to have a kind word to me, lowly bus driver. Bill maybe we can move the statue to where it should be, at the stadium. Like that will happen.
Cuz
May 14th, 2009
11:45 am
Guys, Bill is not going anywhere. Like us he has posers stealing his name also. If it is not shaded, a writer did not write it. Blog on Bill.
dwf
May 14th, 2009
11:47 am
Mr. King,
Although Donnan’s career at UGA was not one of legends…let’s not short-sight his contribution to the program. First, he brought us back to relevancy after the Goff years. Second (and more importantly), who do you think stocked CMR’s 2002 SEC Championship team full of NFL talent?
GeoffDawg
May 14th, 2009
11:48 am
You’re right about all the other talented QBs on the roster. I remember a logjam at that position until it was apparent that Carter had the job already locked up as a freshman. I don’t remember all their names but Blake Barnes comes to mind. Didn’t he transfer to Southern Miss? I wonder how his college career panned out.
Lars Taint
May 14th, 2009
12:04 pm
Are you serious Geoff Dawg? Blake Barnes was in the log jam with Stafford. Quincy was about 8 years before that. With Quincy we had one QB transfer to Oklahoma, I think his name was Hybul. Another, I think, transferred to Auburn.
GeoffDawg
May 14th, 2009
12:09 pm
Thank you Lars. That’s correct. I can’t keep all our logjams straight. I remember Nate Hybl now. He had a pretty good career at Ok I believe.
AltamahaDawg
May 14th, 2009
12:46 pm
Ah, that Adams. Trying to take that football program down the toilet, while hypocritically talking about meaningless academics in the AD, all at the expense of all those withheld contributions, while attendance drops every year due to asphalt-challanged SUVs.
Phil
May 14th, 2009
12:55 pm
I, for one, do not want Sanford Stadium named after VD. He did a lot of good things at UGA, but not enough to rename SS after him. I believe he has been honored sufficiently.
jimmy
May 14th, 2009
12:56 pm
when is mr adams retirement date
Mac
May 14th, 2009
1:10 pm
Erk Russell belongs in the college football hall of fame. Period. His accomplishments far outweigh Donnan’s, but he is on the outside only because he retired two years too early for their silly rules. This case cries out for an exception.
murfdawg
May 14th, 2009
1:14 pm
Does Paul Johnson remind anyone of Jim Donnan? Both were successful at 1-aa,both smug and arrogant for no reason and both will turn out to be mediocre. PJ does have one advantage. He is playing in the Almost Competitive Conference and should win a lot of games. Donnan won 40 games, but not the right ones. But beating Western Carolina and Elon is satisfying to some people. Not to the Dawg Nation. I hope his placque is in the sub-basement of the hof.
JB
May 14th, 2009
1:25 pm
there are rumors that Donnan protected Quincy Carter his Senior with his mystery injury to protect his chances to make it to the pro’s. Some test results did not come in clean ??????????
Ted Striker
May 14th, 2009
1:51 pm
Bill King: I hate to disagree publicly within the UGA family but screw you if you can’t appreciate Donnan.
Ted Striker
May 14th, 2009
1:52 pm
And I mean that.
Pi$$onaDAWG
May 14th, 2009
1:53 pm
I think NAVY is a D-1 program that has restrictions on actually being SMART and Backed by a Senator to go to school. “WE ARE MARSHAL” and I am Donnan. Give me a break. UGA needed anybody to replace “duh duh duh Goff”. Can Tech kick VT, Miama, and Clemson off our schedule and we could be UGA playing the historically weak in the comference. PS Tech has had The U’s # the last few years, while spliting with Clemson, but only taking a game here and there against VPI(VT).
DAWGS20
May 14th, 2009
1:53 pm
I still want a big deal made about ERK not being in. Tell me someone who was more deserving, cant do it. Get the guy in. Make an exception. I mean he was the HEAD coach of that Junkyard Dawg “D” long enough. Then created a program out of thin air at GSU that won three National Titles!!! GET HIM IN!!!!
Mr. Skynyrd
May 14th, 2009
1:58 pm
Keep talking there murf. It will make the second Tech win in a row even sweeter.
I can’t wait. I bet PJ, Roddy Jones, Jonathan Dwyer and Josh Nesbitt can’t either. Low hanging fruit this year. No telling how many points they’ll put up on Wee Willie.
Ted Striker
May 14th, 2009
1:58 pm
Dawgs20, You are 100% right. Erk deserves in, hands down based purely on what he did in Statesboro (not discounting anything about what he meant to UGA).
Pi$$onaDAWG
May 14th, 2009
1:59 pm
AGAIN if rules were ment to be broken then add ERK and Pete Rose. Both were great at what they were paid to do and every team that faec them FEARED both men.
Voice of Reason
May 14th, 2009
2:00 pm
JB- I believe I remember hearing that also. Not surprising. Probably a similar situation with “Percy Harvey” down at UF. Do you really think you can go all that time at UF without failing a drug test and then fail the combine drug test. Logic seems to suggest No.
Dorsey Hill
May 14th, 2009
2:03 pm
First, Coach Dooley still is the finest head coach Georgia has ever had although Coach Richt is fast approaching. He was also instrumental in assembling one of the finest Athletic Departments in the country and we now compete at the highest level in nearly every sport, save basketball. (Had Tubby not been lured to UK there would be no exceptions.)
Second, Donnan vastly increased the level of talent at UGA over his predecessor. While ultimately a disappointment as far as results on the field, we did win an SEC Championship with Donnan’s recruits. We will never know what may have become of Donnan’s career had QC been able to hit a curveball. (Likewise, had Robert Edwards not had his foot broken in the 2Q of the Tenn game in 1995, Donnan may never have been the head coach at Georgia.) Irrespective of that, Donnan does deserve at least some credit for taking Georgia from an embarassment to mediocre. No one can say, but had Georgia not turned the corner at least a little in the late 1990’s, the Georgia job might not have been a job that would have attracted the coach we have now. (I remember Paul Finebaum comparing Georgia in the mid-90’s to Vandy. Having lost twice in a row to them, who was I to argue.) In the end Donnan is not a Butts or a Dooley or a Richt, but he ain’t Johnny Griffith or Ray Goff either. He deserves a modicum of thanks and he deserves little derision.
Voice of Reason
May 14th, 2009
2:04 pm
Pi$$onaDAWG- your grammar eludes you today. Were you trying to say that UGA plays in a weak conference? You are entitled to believe what you want, but I don’t think you can possibly back up that argument.
DAWGS20
May 14th, 2009
2:08 pm
Maybe name the field after Dooley. WOW! The U huh? By the way THE “U” only had ONE,let me repeat ONE player drafted in the NFL draft this year, so congrats on beation the fourth best team in Florida (UF, USF, FSU)And when was the last here and there with VT? Where they any good that year? Do not talk about schedules on here, you make yourself look like what you must really be, an idiot. Last time I checked Florida, LSU(See Peach Bowl), Okie State, and ASU were in the top 25. But you hang in there special fella
JB
May 14th, 2009
2:09 pm
Meyer is a win at any cost kind of guy, so yea…not bashing, just the truth. Watch the guy coach on game day. He takes no prisoners, and i’m talking about on his own sideline. I’m not saying it’s wrong, but the guy has got a set. two BCS championships prove it.
UGA_2001
May 14th, 2009
2:12 pm
LOL, are you serious about Donnan, Bill?
All he did was sign Greene, Pollack, Sean Jones, Thomas Davis, the Stinchcombs, George Foster, Will Witherspoon, Tony Gilbert, Musa Smith, Reggie Brown and did much of the recruiting on guys like Fred Gibson DJ Shockley and Gerald Anderson.
We haven’t had recruiting classes like that since Donnan left. Richt’s staff has shown that they cannot evaluate talent as well as Donnan’s did. Why do you think we have such a dearth of talent and play-makers at positions like DE, LB, and S? Those are three of the easiest positions to evaluate and recruit.
The ‘98 and ‘99 classes set the table for Richt’s first few years. You have to give Donnan credit for that.
JB
May 14th, 2009
2:14 pm
sorry, the above post was in reference to Harvin at UF staying “CLEAN” and failing at the combine
DAWGS20
May 14th, 2009
2:18 pm
Our TALENT at the O-line was better at the time. But our new o-line coach is much better. As far as playmakers go we will have to wait and see. I think Knowshon, A.J, Stafford, MoMass, Curran, J Owens, Quinton Moses and others T.Brown for example, stack up prett well.
Pi$$onaDAWG
May 14th, 2009
2:19 pm
VoR I am saying that UGA is still better than the bad in the SEC but not Better than the Best in the SEC. They are middle of the pack in the SEC. Other teams go up and down, but UGA gets to play in the Middle because of the talent in Ga. UGA will get national talk and still fall shot behind a Bama, LSU, UT, UF, and Auburn. You get up when they are down but you can’t close the deal on a BCS Ship because people know you have a relatively easy SEC schedule again because of your talent. You can’t win the BIG game when needed but you can kick the crap out of the weak sisters most years. If UF is up UGA is second and if UT is up UGA is still second. When UGA is UP they still need help to make it to the DOME. Sorry for bad typing or lack of puncuation.
uuugh.
May 14th, 2009
2:27 pm
The only other Quarterback other than Quincy Carter that got worse every year they played was Reggie Ball. The first year I thought Quincy would re-write the record books but by the end it was 5 int’s vs SC. At least Reggie helped us win games!
Name the field after Dooley. Dooley Field at Sanford Stadium has a nice ring to it. Used to see him at church during my time in Athens–great guy. To hell with Adams. Thant guy hasn’t done $hit…the Hope Scolarship would have driven up entrance requirements without him.
Stay out of the headlines Quincy!
We miss you Reggie!!
DAWGS20
May 14th, 2009
2:27 pm
Really? Weak Schedule, ok lets see. OSU Bowl team preseason #6, USC, Arky(beat LSU see Peach Bowl again), ASU top 25 and Bowl Team, LSU (again see Peach, UT, Vandy Bowl team (Beat BC an ACC team), Uf (I think they did ok last year), TT, Auburn, KY (bowl team) and Someone else is at the end of the schedule. Your right its weak
JB
May 14th, 2009
2:30 pm
Georgia getting back to Dome falls on Richt. The CEO. He calls all the shots that determines what kind of ball club we have:
1. He hires the assit. coach’s
2. The philosphy is his
3. he signs off on recruit offers
4. he sets the work tone
5. He makes sure the staff has the team ready to play and a game plan that will work.
Ask Fulmer…..He’d tell you.
uuugh.
May 14th, 2009
2:30 pm
Can we also stop referring to Vince Dooley as VD. The man desreves better than that!
TaDawg
May 14th, 2009
2:30 pm
Honor coach Dooley, but PLEASE do not hyphenate the stadium or name the field after him. That is absurd. I have always made fun of places like Tech and FSU for naming the field separately from the stadium.
Pi$$onaDAWG
May 14th, 2009
2:36 pm
DAWG20 look at the scheduels of the teams you are talking about. Everybody goes to a BOWL now. Tell me right now on paper that UGA should lose to? USC, Ark, ASU, UT, Vandy, Tenn Tech, Auburn, or Kentucky? That is 8 wins and & that put you in a bowl. Yes, USC could have beat you last year, and Kentucky should have beaten you, but that is where UGA athelets won out in the end.
Pi$$onaDAWG
May 14th, 2009
2:40 pm
uuuhg you are right VD is what you get from the Fake Blonde Freshmen Chickenheads on campus. I loved my weekends in Athens during college days. Vince was an AUBURN MAN and left UGA to go back to Auburn then changed his mind if you have forgotten.
Herschel Talker
May 14th, 2009
2:45 pm
How nice. More Bill King. SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME WHO THE HELL BILL KING IS!!! WHAT QUALIFIES HIM TO BLOG ON THE DAWGS? Scary looking picture.
DAWGS20
May 14th, 2009
2:48 pm
My point is that everyone in the SEC has athletes except for Vandy(who is coming along) and maybe Miss ST. Everyone else is going to play you tough. Auburn is a rival game as well as UT so they are usually going to be close games. For some reason ever since Spurrier took over every game UGA has played has been CLOSE, except Staffords freshman year 18-0. UGA did not preform well in a lot of games last year, but got the win for whatever reason (not WILLMART IMO)Tech did not have the athletes the UGA did last year and did a good job (just threw up in my mouth a little) Its not athltes, its coaching and determination, willpower. MY point o you is that the schedule is tough and UGA did a decent job with it. I personally belive that UGA has had the toughest schedule in the country for the past two years.
Jethro Tull
May 14th, 2009
2:49 pm
Why does the beat writer for the AJC feel the need to blabber this crap twice a day in the off season? Well, if he wasn’t digging up junk like this, we would be hearing about Fatty Staffords dump this morning.
NO ONE CARES!!
Vince Dooley was a lying, cheating SOB. Ever heard of Jan Kemp? That was on VD’s watch.
Right On Time
May 14th, 2009
2:52 pm
JB: Quincy was a junior in Donnans’ last year, 2000. He bolted on Richt for the NFL.
Dooley is obvious. Best UGA coach ever.
On Donnan:
Dont discount how hard of a job cleaning up goff’s mess. goff was putrid and so was the team. Donnan recruited excellent players that ended up being the group that “knocked the lid off”. He stopped the losing streak against tenn. He beat florida with SOS coaching (Richt got beat by the zooker). He won at auburn in OT and in 1998 at LSU against the #6 team in the country with a freshman QB. He recruited players from the Baileys to the Stinchcombs. The 2 problems Donnan had were his mouth and attitude with the masses. His rotten luck against the techsters did not help either. I still would rather have had 20 more seasons of Donnan than 1 more of goff.
Lets not forget: Donnan was supposed to be Mason. I think we got the better guy.
He still carries a torch for Georgia so give him a break and some respect.
Randy
May 14th, 2009
2:56 pm
“And as athletic director, he built one of the nation’s most successful sports programs overall”
You’re joking about Dooley, right? Gymnastics & tennis success doesn’t cut it. Also, how many times did the university run into NCAA violations under Dooley’s lead? Too many to count.
Dooley has been honoured (sic) enough. He doesn’t deserve his name on the stadium. That should be reserved for Richt.
Johnny DangerDawg
May 14th, 2009
3:02 pm
I do want to give Donnan some credit for bringing in some good players for Richt’s early years. However, I will probably p*** off some folks by saying that Donnan wasn’t necessarily that much better than Goff. After the Jan Kemp scandal, UGA football changed its admissions standards to be stricter than the rest of the SEC. This hurt recruiting until around 1996, when all the other schools upgraded their admission standards to the same as UGA. Thus, I believe it was almost inevitable that whoever coached the Dawgs after 1996 would have a better winning percentage than whoever coached them from 1989-1995.
DAWGS20
May 14th, 2009
3:11 pm
WOW really??? UGA may be the best overall program in the country. Look at revenue number off of athletics. Uga has won over 35 total National Championships!!! Tennis, Golf, Gymnastics, Baseball to the World Series and won it in 90, football in 880, heck even our pitiful bball team went to the final four in 83 and won the SEC last year. Softball is successfull, swimming and diving have won national titles, and last time I checked tennis, swimming and diving and gymnastics are all olmpic sports?? Jan who?? What did that cost UGA again?? The man is one of 9, yes 9, coaches to win over 200 games and did all that work as the A.D. Randy are you Mike Adams in disguise?
Mark
May 14th, 2009
3:15 pm
Easy on JD. He significantly upgraded the program on the field and with facilities. Granted the Quincy issue was a debacle and losing 3 to tech justified his firing but he was a class act who still enjoys living in Athens and has never said a bad word about UGA except for the current president..and he isn’t alone there. As a matter of fact you can tell in his commentary that he’s still pulling for us. He could have left bitter but didn’t. To me that says alot for the man. Not to mention he and Munson put on quite an entertaining call-in show.
Ogeechee Dawg
May 14th, 2009
3:15 pm
Bill – I disagree with your comments about Donnan:
1. He inhereted a mess from Ray Goff – mediocre talent.
2. He pulled in the talent and was able to position UGA to better compete against Florida and Tennessee – of which were both legit top 10 – if not top 5 programs
3. If UGA was in the SEC West – he would have gone to several SEC title games
4. He set the table for Mark Richt. When Richt arrived – the talent was there to build upon.
5. Given time (more than 4 years) who is not to say that UGA would be winning 10 games a season under Donnan? He was moving the program in that direction.
Recap – the program was a whole lot better when Donnan departed than when he arrived. He is/was a BIG time coach – at a Big time program – that just missed out on greatness.
birddawg92
May 14th, 2009
3:17 pm
I don’t disagree with the points on Donnan but think there’s a smidge too much piling on here. Reiterate another poster’s point that Donnan acknowledged Richt’s accomplishments exceeding his. I initially was a major Donnan supporter (had seen what he’d done at Marshall having attended GA Southern when he was there), and said at the time that he “saved Dooley from himself” after getting the job when Glen Mason got cold feet (a pretty decent-looking decision in retrospect). I came to refer to Donnan as “Donut” though, after he clearly lost control of the team in the late 90s, the personal coup de grace for me being the 31-0-at-the-half debacle against The Barn AT HOME in -99. All that said, he clearly appreciates Georgia, and I think he’s due a little credit for getting the recruiting back up to snuff and getting us at least in the conference title conversation again.
But as Towers blogged earlier in the week, in Jim Donnan is in the HOF on his resume, ERSKINE RUSSELL is NO-BRAINER. He was head coach at GSU for 8 years—if there’s a case that ever cried out for an exception, his is it.
http://www.saturdayinathens.com (coming back soon, am almost over the Tech loss)
RxDawg
May 14th, 2009
3:19 pm
“I’ll just take this opportunity again to say that I look forward to the day, after Michael Adams is gone, when Dooley can be properly honored by UGA adding his name to the stadium or field. ”
Oh good grief Bill, this is just dumb. They put a statue of him in a very nice garden made especially for Dooley on UGA’S campus. Thats not exactly 2nd rate. I personaly think it’s tacky as hell that these other schools have double name stadiums. We are not other schools. We are above other schools. Our stadium’s name is Sanford Stadium. Thats it. Please end this crap about it’s not right that Dooley’s name isn’t on it.
uga_b
May 14th, 2009
3:20 pm
Randy, our atheletic department has moved up on the cup list to almost rival Florida. Golf champions, Tennis champions, gymnastics, football SEC champions, hell, we have even won at horse riding and ultimate frisbee.
Look I have Mike F.(in’) Adams as much as the next guy, but the man is a fundraising dynamo. That’s why he is here. Won’t be sad too see him leave, but like Donnan, he is not without accomplishment.
uga_b
May 14th, 2009
3:23 pm
I meant I *hate (not have) Mike Adams and will “boo” the man in public…in front of his wife. to* (not too)
Bad typing…sigh
Nicole in Athens
May 14th, 2009
3:28 pm
I’m with DWF, Ted Striker, Dorsey Hill, Right On Time & others who say Jim Donnan is being unjustly criticized by Bill King in this column. If Mr. King wants to make his point by linking his column to a lawyer still sniffling over a game played 9 years ago that’s his business. But I’m a girl and even chicks know a thing or two about sports. 1) UGA football was a laughingstock when Coach Donnan came in. They’d lost 2 in a row to Vandy & “lost” their newly hired coach to his old school. 2) Coach Donnan restored the pride, recruited talent and fielded competitive teams. 3) He left, not of his own choosing but with dignity. 4) He was a loyal bulldog — and as others have said still carries a torch for UGA 5) Even us chicks know what michael corleone said to fredo. And i’ll say it to bill king. “Don’t ever take sides with anyone against the family again. Ever”
Bucky Jenkins
May 14th, 2009
3:31 pm
BuckyJ
There aren’t many subjects that would spur me to post a message, but this is one of them. The only thing that I give Adams credit for, athletically, is assuring that Donnan was shown the door. His were some of the poorest coached teams in UGA history! Hall of Fame, my ***!
Right On Time
May 14th, 2009
3:56 pm
Bucky J:
Did you see ANY of the goff coached teams? How about ol Johnny G coached teams? How about 3 UGA games in 2008? Donnan had opportunities like anyone. However, I repeat NO coch was worse than goff. I mean ever, never, ever, never, ever. goff makes bil lewis look like Bear and Stallings and Vince and Butts put together. Donnan had to clean up the Exxon Valdez of football programs. He did a fine job.
Bill King
May 14th, 2009
3:58 pm
Nicole:
Good points and I grant that Donnan did make progress. But he totally blew it with QC, and more than that, I don’t think he was ever part of the “family.” And he still has to answer for Santino, I mean Quincy.
Great film, by the way.
NRBQ
May 14th, 2009
4:02 pm
Hey, Piss:
Let’s hear about that rousing victory over Gardner-Webb, where the Offense That Can’t Be Stopped scored 10 points.
Fay-Dawg
May 14th, 2009
4:08 pm
Donnan could certainly recruit…his athletes were sprinkled all over NFL rosters once they left UGA. He had issues with the media, alumni and boosters. I’m not sure Donnan realized how big a difference it was going to be when he left Marshall for UGA.
Johnny DangerDawg
May 14th, 2009
4:10 pm
Bucky,
Do you remember shortly after Donnan’s firing when it was revealed that Adams had secretly renegotiated Donnan’s contract about 1.5 years earlier BEHIND DOOLEY’S BACK? The deal made it more expensive for either side to pull out. It caused Donnan’s firing to cost UGA an extra $255,250. After Donnan’s firing, the secret deal came to light, and Adams basically said, “oops, I’d forgotten about that.”
Crazy4GT
May 14th, 2009
4:14 pm
Hey NRBQ:
Let’s hear about that rousing victory over Georgia, where the Offense That Can’t Be Stopped scored 45 points.
Randy
May 14th, 2009
4:43 pm
DAWGS20. UGA got nailed for six major recruiting violations during Dooley’s tenure. People remember those recruiting violations moreso than 35 championships in sports like women’s equestrian or men’s golf.
Also, if you think a NC in football in 1980 and a baseball championship in 1990 are cause for making us an elite athletic program, then by all means keep on believing it.
Dorsey Hill
May 14th, 2009
5:31 pm
Randy- Name them. I don’t remember missing bowl games or not being on TV except when we played Clemson and Auburn and UF who were ALWAYS on probation for something or another. Any violations were relatively minor for that time in college football.
SOUTHGADAWG88
May 14th, 2009
5:42 pm
Ouch!Randy you do know you are talking about a legend right?lol
Denver Dog
May 14th, 2009
6:05 pm
Six major, what are you smoking. He never was on probation, he never got in trouble, and unlike Fl, UT, Clemmons, Auburn, Alabama, and even GT we never lost TV or bowls. We could not be televised some years when we played those teams.
So quit throwing out the slop. Some years all teams are better than others.
DirtyDawg
May 14th, 2009
6:23 pm
I’m with those that are wondering what a Bill King is doing blogging about UGA…then again, his picture reminds me of a Marketing Professor I once knew up there – wonder what ever happened to him?…Regardless, I don’t know what it was about Jim Donnan that made him think he had to walk around with that chip on his shoulder. Maybe it was because he knew he wasn’t Georgia’s ‘first choice’ when he was hired and felt he had something to prove…maybe it was that he never cozied-up to the ‘inside Georgia’ folks and chose to do his own thing…I mean who blows away poor Loran Smith, live, on-the-air? And just because Loran asked another of his nonsensical, and inappropriate, questions in a post game locker-room interview. Frankly, I’m with Dooley on the fact that Jim deserved another year at Georgia, but then we wouldn’t have Mark Richt which ain’t bad at all…then again, it may be that all the breaks would have gone Georgia’s, and Donnan’s, way and we’d be counting BCS Championship trophies…one never knows.
Pi$$onaDAWG
May 14th, 2009
6:36 pm
NRBQ 7-5, 7-5, 7-5, 7-5 hahahaha that is UGA only claim to fame this year. Keep licking your stuff and We will see you come this Nov. on the Flats. We did beat Jacksonville State in football and you lost to them in baseball. HAHAHAHA. Tenn Tech is a tuff game though. Hang your hat on that one too.
Michael in Decatur
May 14th, 2009
7:09 pm
Give Erk and Bear Bryant the same talent and Erk wins 9 out of 10.
Ted Striker
May 14th, 2009
7:14 pm
Michael in Decatur: I guess we have to give the Bear 1 of 10, but damned if I don’t see Erk taking 19 of 20….
Mike Bobo 17 INT
May 14th, 2009
7:42 pm
Carter: No surprises here. Failure at UGA, under a failure coach and a program in the tank.
Donnan: a total debacle for the UGAY program and set the tone for the subsequent coaches who continue to drive this program in the ground. King making comments about CMR fixing what Donnan left behind are somewhat true, because CMR can recruit, but cannot take his team to a title game.
Dooley: well, I see he is getting the Bear Bryant award, which comes from the greatest coach in college football, and of course, played and coached at Alabama. I respect Dooley and about the only good thing to come out of Athens.
There is far too much talk and blogging about the UGAY program. CMR had the most talented team in 2008, and got crushed by UF, UA and those Nerds on North Ave drove the final nail in the coffin back in November.
What are all those UGAY fans do when the AJC goes belly up? Oh I know, they will head off to the Taco Mac at the Mall of Georgia and watch Urban Meyer beat the pure living s#$$ out of you, year, after year, after year, after year….
Fay-Dawg
May 14th, 2009
7:59 pm
Hey PISS & Crazy4GT….why don’t you answer each others craigslist personal adds and get off the UGA sites.
Mike Bobo 17 INT
May 14th, 2009
8:03 pm
Fay-Dawg
Learn to take it like a woman. Learn your program and try to defend it, instead of attaching other quality programs.
Fay-Dawg
May 14th, 2009
8:09 pm
To Blo Blo 17….I’m not “attaching” other programs…you idiot. Why don’t you learn english and basic grammar. Didn’t you have a class with smokin Joe Hamilton?
Fay-Dawg
May 14th, 2009
8:18 pm
BloBlo 17 INT….I’m not “attaching” other programs you idiot. Why don’t you learn how to spell? Seems like you must have had a class or two with smokin Joe Hamilton.
Mike Bobo 17 INT
May 14th, 2009
8:23 pm
Fay-Dawg
Let me bring you up to speed….UF has won the last 16 of 19 meetings and continues to dominate your little league program.
Let me use some proper grammar…..UGAY sucks and the program is in the tank. The program is an embarassment to this state and is constantly under attack by the sports media. Matter of fact 2008 was suppose to be your year, but they flagged your program as being “overrated” and limited their coverage.
ESPN finally gave you a college gameday against UA, and what did you do? Laid an egg, and got your asses kicked all of the field, thus galvanizing why ESPN calls your program overrated.
How is that grammar?
Fay-Dawg
May 14th, 2009
8:40 pm
BloBlo….which team in the SEC has the most wins over the last 10 years? Why that would be UGA…you a$$ wipe! And the gators ARE on an amazing run…but with everything being cyclical, their time is coming too. Nobody stays on top forever.
Mike Bobo 17 INT
May 14th, 2009
8:47 pm
Gay-Dawg
UGAY went from 1982 to 2002 (20 years) before they won another SEC title. Also, SEC titles do not count, only national titles. UF is the only team the SEC can brag about, all other programs are mediocre.
Texas and OU dominate the Big 12, and USC dominates the Pac-10. UA was the badass of the SEC in 2008, until Utah kicked the hell out of them in the Sugar Bowl, thus affirming the fact that UF is the SEC.
Everyone is sick and tired about UGAY bragging about playing in the SEC. There are only a few, if any programs that are dominant UF, and UA, after these you are out of gas. KY, USC, MSU, UM, and Vandy are weak.
LSU gets respect and kicked the hell of the Nerds in the Peach Bowl, but that was expected.
Yes, the Gators will stay there forever…
chuck allison
May 14th, 2009
9:10 pm
Georgia Tech was pleased to help our neighbors in Athens with the dedication of the Dooley statue last November in Athens. Now, UGA alumni can remember that game and Roddy Jones’ performance every time they look at the Dooley statue. Very fitting for the greatest whiner of all time!
Cuz
May 14th, 2009
9:11 pm
Striker, I’m with you. I thought Donnan got a raw deal being fired 8-3. But we got Richt and I became a convert in 2002. Incense, robes and holy water sprinkled on the forehead. I have no animosity to Jim Donnan. I will commit the cardinal sin, alot of religous references better go see Angels and Demons, and admit to still liking Ray Goff. I still say we took the best recruiter we had before Rodney Garner and set him up to fail. He rose to his level of mediocrity. Man he should have been an OC first. The one thing that impresses me. Three former coaches of UGA live in the Athens area. And only one quit voluntary. Take that you morons that say that Athens is nowhere to live.
Booboo, how do you attach a program, duct tape?
chuck allison
May 14th, 2009
9:14 pm
You shouldn’t try to compare Erk Russell with Bear Byant. Erk was a fine assistant coach at UGA who finished well at GSU and wisely refused to move to the head coach job at UGA. I will say that Erk was a better coach than Vince Dooley, but neither were in the same league with Bear Bryant and Bobby Dodd in their prime.
Cuz
May 14th, 2009
9:16 pm
SEC titles do not count. Booboo, you are a bigger imbecile than I thought. Why don’t we restrict the football conversation to this century. Yep, UF has our number, we own the rest. Put that in your crackpipe and smoke it.
Cuz
May 14th, 2009
9:17 pm
chuck, Joe said quit hogging the bong and pass it.
Fay-Dawg
May 14th, 2009
9:38 pm
CUZ…..good one!
athens dog fan
May 14th, 2009
10:48 pm
Bill, I always enjoy your blogs and almost always agree with you, but your agreement with Kyle King is short sighted at best. Stinchcomb, Watson, Gary, Haynes, Bailey, Greene, Stroud, I can’t even remember ‘em all. Look at the ‘02 team, arguably CMR’s best, no worst than next best team and notice the number of juniors and seniors who started, and went on to NFL careers. All Donnan’s players. Most of them still playing today and he’s been gone eight years. Donnan was not able to handle the peripheral duties of being a head coach in the SEC. He was moody, not able to make nice with alumni and fans when they were what he considered out of line, he certainly had faults that were his downfall. But I defy you to find a UGA offense at any time that was more efficient and just plain fun to watch than Donnan’s second year, with Bobo throwing, Hines catching, Edwards, I believe, running, Champ doing everything ..Does he belong in the Hall? I personally think probably not, did he set himself back with the Quincy mess? Certainly. But make no mistake, without his players, Mark would not have won the ‘02 SEC title, no question.
athdog
May 14th, 2009
11:12 pm
Hey Booboo, I hear Urbane’s going to South Bend.
Annapolis Dawg
May 14th, 2009
11:20 pm
@Pi$$edonbyaDAWG: Hey, Annapolis Grad getting in late here; Yes, Navy is D1, but Paul J won back to back National Championships at Georgia Southern (’99 and 2000, after losing the championship game in ‘98)before taking the Navy job. (He was Navy’s O-coord and ran the triple option before going to Southern, then came back to Navy.) Seriously, get to know your coach.
moddyd
May 15th, 2009
2:55 am
hahahahhaha. thanks to all of you for giving me a good laugh before I went to bed. The fact that all of you get so worked up about this is incredible to me. I love the dawgs, but f”ck, are any of you going to get any satisfaction talking crap to each other? I will sponsor a kegger where you can all argue about who sucks and the what not, but after 20 minutes if no body gives you have to fist fight. f-ing dorks. i bet you make fun of people who play computer games.
moddyd
May 15th, 2009
3:00 am
btw the people who question Mr. King’s “credentials” on blogging about the dawgs are obviously two f-ing stupid to read at the top next to his pic “Lifelong Georgia Bulldog Bill King offers a fan’s perspective on UGA sports”. He is a fan, is it not his right to have an opinion? Just because you do not have the right connections to be able to get payed for your views is not his fault. You obviously make morons out of your selves for free.
DirtyDawg
May 15th, 2009
4:14 am
Well here’s one moron that at least knows how to spell ‘paid’ and that ‘yourselves’ is one word…effin piss-ant…as for Mr. King, I took your advice and read his bio. I’m no longer wondering. He indeed has parlayed his newspaper experience and Bulldog passion into a job in an ‘essential industry’…good for him, and you’re right, he’s gettin’ paid for it while I’m just stayin’ up late pissin’ away time. Although it appears that he may see himself as one of those ‘long-time Bulldog insiders’ that still carries a grudge against Donnan for rubbing Loran’s nose in it following that South Carolina game with a ‘we’re gonna change that kind of attitude around here’..well Loran’s still around and Jim’s not. SELAH.
Judith
May 15th, 2009
8:17 am
Donnan did not deserve to be fired. It was that bad call against Jasper Sanks in the Tech game that ended both their careers. Donnan was building a championship team. I went to all his bowl games. That’s when his teams really showed valor…
Bam
May 15th, 2009
9:32 am
Who’s overall contribution from the following list, has given more to his employer (school) in character, image building, athletic achievement, academics, national recognition and respect?
Vaught – Miss., Dodd – Ga. Tech, Bryant – Ala., Jordan – Aub., Neyland – Tn. or Dooley – Ga.
Yeah, lets be careful not to hyphenate the stadium name.
Adams is a political idiot with no conscience, and that bus driver, Cuz, well, I hope there’s still hope for him.
JenniferGO Dawgs
May 15th, 2009
10:54 am
WhooHooo Go Coach Dooley, It Is about time they recognize greatness, he deserves a heck of a lot more, maybe when Adams is out Dooley will finally get the recognition he deserves!
OZZFEST
May 15th, 2009
2:39 pm
Personally, I always thought Jim Donnan was one cool MF. He was a lot “cooler” that the aloof Vince Dooley…who would bareley speak to you if you were not in the money.
cdawg
May 16th, 2009
12:28 pm
Adams, Adams, Adams. It is amazing how obsessed some UGA folks are with one man. I for one am pretty OK with what he has done. He fired Donnan (much needed), he hired Richt (brilliant) and he actually attends the football games. So he didn’t give Dooley half a year. It was time for Dooley to go anyway! I swear I think some Adams haters would trade him for Charles Knapp. Now you talk about a TERRIBLE president whose mission it was to destroy athletics at UGA it was Knapp. Be careful what you wish for in Adams’ demise you might get something you don’t want- a liberal, pansy who could care less about football. Please let the Dooley-Adams thing go away so we can enjoy the sucessful program we now have.
How Well or Poorly Did Jim Donnan Serve the Georgia Bulldogs as Head Football Coach? | MrSEC.com
May 18th, 2009
5:20 am
[...] but my recent posting concerning Jim Donnan’s elevation to the College Football Hall of Fame drew several responses around The Dawgosphere, including this comment from Paul [...]
KrisBelucci
June 1st, 2009
7:51 pm
Hi, good post. I have been wondering about this issue,so thanks for posting.
Donnan: Is loyalty enough? | The Junkyard Blawg
July 17th, 2009
10:31 am
[...] Others point out he had a losing record against main rivals Florida, Tennesee and Georgia Tech and, as I noted here before, completely mishandled the quarterback situation with Quincy [...]
chazzo
July 17th, 2009
6:08 pm
Dooley: What can you say? He’s a legend. You can’t sneeze at 200 victories. It took him near twenty years to get the National Championship. And there were quite a few seven win seasons.
Quick Hit: Is Jim Donnan Really Hall of Fame Material? « Everyone’s Entitled to Joe’s Opinion
August 16th, 2009
12:17 am
[...] August 16, 2009 by joederbes Those of you who have been following the news for the last month are no doubt aware that Jim Donnan has been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, largely on the strength of his accomplishments at Marshall where he went 64-21, made frequent appearances in the 1-AA national championship game, and even slipped up and won it one year. And during the course of his acceptance speech, he made some remarks about how he had helped (or at least would like to think that he had helped) Ma…. [...]