As he exits UGA, Adams should rename stadium for Dooley
Vince D. and Mike A., good buddies of long standing, share a hearty laugh. (AP photo)
Michael Adams is set to leave the University of Georgia in June 2013, which would mean he’ll have outlasted Vince Dooley by nine years. In the overheated summer of 2003, it wasn’t clear who would lose (or win, depending on your slant) the race to be last out the door.
At an institution of higher education, there was little edifying about their bitter struggle. Dooley, the athletic director, wanted to stay a little longer. Adams, who could never give a compelling reason as to why Georgia needed a new AD, wanted this one gone. Two smart and powerful men were reduced to bickering over half-years.
Dooley loyalists rallied, and such was their outrage that it seemed possible the president would be forced out before Dooley. But Adams managed to hold his job, mostly because he was, as a college president, delivering the goods. Dooley left quietly on June 30, 2004, to be succeeded by Damon Evans, and the bizarre saga reached its end.
Dooley lost his job but claimed overwhelming victory in the court of public opinion. He stamped himself as the wronged party, and when he gave the nod for his supporters to cool it — the 2003 summer convocation of the Bulldog Club of Greater Atlanta had been an embarrassment of pro-Vince overkill — he came away as statesmanlike. In the years since, Dooley has taken solace in having weakened his nemesis on campus and off. (If not for the memory of the Dooley feud, Adams might have received greater consideration to succeed Myles Brand as NCAA president.)
To say that the two men hated one another would not be overstating. Dooley considered Adams a meddler and a hothead, and Adams resented Dooley for trying to use a moment of presidential weakness — the AD asked for a contract extension not long after Adams had run off football coach Jim Donnan — as personal leverage. To suggest that either man has forgotten, much less forgiven, is a stretch.
Asked by colleague Chip Towers for a reaction to Adams’ announced departure, Dooley offered this beautifully meager kiss-off: “First of all, I commend President Adams on his retirement, his service and his contributions to the University of Georgia. I do believe it is time for a change and I look forward to the Bulldog Nation uniting under new leadership in the near future.”
Note that commendation for Adams’ “retirement” came two spots ahead of any note of his “contributions.” Note also that “time for a change” came in Sentence No. 2.
Dooley has always taken pains to note that Adams’ doctorate is in political communication, as if the only game the president had ever mastered was one that valued style over substance. But here’s where Dr. Adams can spring the ultimate bit of political jiu-jitsu: As a parting gift, he can name the football stadium after his adversary.
There were those of us who believed that should have happened a decade ago, but there was no way Adams would grant that favor at a time when Dooley’s forces were trying to get him fired. But now it’s 2012, and there could be no gesture more statesmanlike that this.
The school did affix Dooley’s name to the facilities on the southwest corner of campus in 2008, but that was thin gruel: It involved little more than transporting a statue someone had already made and holding a dedication ceremony on the morning Georgia played Tech. (Further indignity: Tech won the game.) Asked back then about naming the stadium for Dooley, Adams sniffed that the stadium “already has a name.”
But few Bulldogs fans would recoil at the notion of Sanford Stadium becoming Sanford-Dooley Stadium. (I’m of the opinion that “Dooley-Sanford Stadium” would sound funny. But maybe that’s just me.) It would be the right way to honor the greatest figure in the school’s athletic history, and it would be the right political move for a president who hasn’t always been seen as presidential.
Honoring his enemy would be a way for Adams to show that, this once if not always, he’s capable of being the bigger man. It would enhance Dooley’s legacy, but it would burnish Adams’ more. If this president left today, he’d be known as the guy who was right on academics but wrong in his handling of a popular AD. If he leaves after renaming the stadium for that AD, he’d become the guy who, in his final act, was wise enough to admit he’d gotten one big thing wrong.
That would, as even Dooley would be forced to admit, be one heck of an exit line.
By Mark Bradley
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529 comments Add your comment
Doctor C
May 5th, 2012
8:17 pm
Goodbye, Mike. And, please Suzanne and Don with you.
Purple and Orange Hater
May 5th, 2012
8:41 pm
Southwest Airlines…..you’re obnoxious with the advertising. I hate the bulletin around my AJC homepage. Please tone it down!!
Rick James
May 5th, 2012
8:53 pm
Micheal Adams will not do this.He still holds a grudge but so does Dooley.
UGAGOLFER
May 5th, 2012
10:03 pm
Mark, you’re nuts if you think every single Georgia supporter and booster fully supported Dooley and disliked Adams. I for one love Coach Dooley the man, but he probably stayed about 5 or 6 years longer as coach than he should have. Great record and all, but what if Herschel had not chosen to play for UGA? Then Dooley would have been around 64% win percentage, significantly less than Mark Richt’s winning percentage (and not all that great). Georgia would be stuck in the past and still laughed at had Adams not taken over and transformed the University. He has done one helluva job. That has NOTHING to do with Vince Dooley, and I do not support renaming the stadium after Coach Dooley. I do however like the idea of Dooley Field. Notice UT has not renamed anything after Fulmer other than a street, and he was the best coach they’ve had the past 52 years.
UGAGOLFER
May 5th, 2012
10:14 pm
Flo- Ri- Duh, Vince Dooley was ON LEAVE and not part of the decision process after he left. You can blame the former President from Iowa (whatever his name was) for NOT hiring Erk Russell. Dooley was away contemplating a run for the U.S. Senate. Poor Ray Goff was handed the job when the NC State coach accepted and then retracted his acceptance of the job. This mess set UGA football back to pre-Dooley times. It was a disaster of epic proportions.
UGAGOLFER
May 5th, 2012
10:15 pm
NC State coach being Dick Sheridan.
Civil Unrest
May 5th, 2012
10:27 pm
How about mark richt stadium and Hines ward field?
HD27
May 5th, 2012
11:13 pm
UGA ALUM has it right. It should be Dooley Field at Sanford Stadium. No need to change the name of the stadium.
Stewdog
May 5th, 2012
11:27 pm
Osfest,you are an idiot. Dr. Adams was a failure as president. The rise in academics was doe to the Hope Scholarship not Dr.Adams
GaDave
May 5th, 2012
11:46 pm
One national title due in large part to one good recruit (Herschel Walker). Everyone who likes someone wants to name something after them. Coach Dooley was our fraternity faculty advisor and member, he’s very bright and well educated, and he’s a great person, but let’s leave well enough alone. When we have a coach retire who was closer to the success of “Bear” Bryant, then let’s talk.
GaDave
May 6th, 2012
12:20 am
No Stewdog, you’re the idiot. I hope you are not an alumnus.
The HOPE Scholarship helped UGA, but with Adam’s political skill, effort and perseverance UGA obtained over $1 billion in new construction, a medical school component, the first standalone school of ecology in the country, top tier rankings compared to the many other public universities and colleges, top program rankings compared to both private and public institutions, millions and millions of dollars in new contributions for scholarships and endowed professorships, graduate engineering degrees consistent with its curriculum, increased visibility as a great university, etc., etc. All the while, Adams was respected by his peers and accessible to the students, as well as alumni and others.
Obviously he PO’d some alumni and others who believe a university should first be a sports venue, especially regarding the ouster of Coach Dooley, but cooler heads have recognized that his leadership has furthered the greatness of UGA as an academic institution.
By the way, before calling someone an idiot, you should learn that “due” is not spelled “doe.” (D’oh!)
wins-by-a-link
May 6th, 2012
12:35 am
Sorry Mark, Bad idea, Dooley was not a great coach, He won the Hershel Walker lottery thanks to Mike Cavan and won many of his games thanks to Erk Russell and guess who prevented Russell from becoming head coach at UGA? Thats right your hero Vince Dooley, Lets get a new president and hope he keeps Vince out of his office.
Ckgator
May 6th, 2012
12:49 am
Dooley has been loitering around Athens and the SEC as if he were still relevant for years.
If you compare his accomplishments to that of Spurrier, Meyer, Saban, Miles, and even Fulmer – you’ll see that what he did at UGA THIRTY YEARS AGO pales, and means little outside of Clark County. He had nice few years on the back of Herschel, but Spurrier alone crushed his accomplishments a few years later.
Name a building after him if you must. But he doesn’t measure up to the real monsters of the midway in the SEC.
>”–,,—-,,—-/
RxDawg
May 6th, 2012
1:32 am
No…just no
Sid
May 6th, 2012
1:53 am
What the hell is wrong with Walker Field……………………….?
maxdog
May 6th, 2012
7:37 am
How about the University of Dooley?
Old Dawg Fan
May 6th, 2012
7:38 am
I would not agree with changing the name of the stadium to Dooley Stadium. Leave it as it is named!
If they change it looks like they are trying “fall into line” with a less than “great” last 5 years or so of Bulldog football.
jarvis jones
May 6th, 2012
8:32 am
the team voted to name stadium after irk russell, send vince and barbara to knoxville.
Hair o the Dawg
May 6th, 2012
9:04 am
Stupid idea Mark! Leave the name the way it is. But if it had to be changed it should Walker before anyone else.
Ckgator
May 6th, 2012
9:52 am
Dooley had a few good seasons but would be in the middle of the SEC pack were he coaching in the 90’s and 2000’s.
Not an overly impressive figure outside of north / northeast Georgia. So the perfect candidate for a re-named Sanford.
RCB
May 6th, 2012
9:56 am
Thanks, but no thanks.
gbal
May 6th, 2012
10:03 am
100% agree that VD did a lot in his day for UGA and is really a great guy. BUT…
He beat the Bear a couple of times and then 1 national championship which would have NEVER happened without HW # 34.
Name the stadium after him??? I really dont think his coaching record, winning percentage, justify a stadium mane. Just not GREAT nor legend material. And CMR is going to surpas him
David E.
May 6th, 2012
10:18 am
Just an observation:
Georgia has won 12 SEC football championships. Dooley won 6. Richt has 2 and Wally Butts won 4.
Before Dooly came along, Georgia Tech was the dominant football school in the state, under Bobby Dodd. Vince Dooley changed the football culture in the state and swung the pendulum of power to Athens from Atlanta. I’d put his name on the stadium in a heartbeat.
ugab
May 6th, 2012
10:32 am
I say hell no to Dooley.. I say yes to Walker. and yes to the Avengers for kickin some but
ugab
May 6th, 2012
10:33 am
H Walker put Dooley on the map.. Dooley is a Joke. hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
WDE
May 6th, 2012
10:45 am
Vince deserves naming the stadium perhaps not on his coaching record alone, but add in his record as AD and the boost he gave not football athletics at UGA and yes he is very deserving.
Rusty
May 6th, 2012
10:53 am
What is it with you Southerners that implore you to name anything that doesn’t move after someone?
DawgDroppings
May 6th, 2012
11:19 am
Does anybody remember the Jan Kemp mess and who was head coach at the time and what a screwed up mess Dooley left the football program in when he quit. I don’t care for Adams but Dooley ain’t the football God so many think he is
WDE
May 6th, 2012
1:23 pm
@Rusty what it is, that your not a Southern so not only are you incapable or understanding, you don’t count to start with..
Sid
May 6th, 2012
1:26 pm
“The stadium is named for Dr. Steadman Vincent Sanford, an early major force behind UGA athletics. Sanford arrived at the University of Georgia as an English instructor in 1903. He later became the faculty representative to the athletics committee and would eventually become president of the University and Chancellor of the entire University System of Georgia. In 1911, he moved the university’s football venue from its first location, Herty Field, to a location at the center of campus which was named Sanford Field in his honor.”
Just in case you were wondering.
Sid
May 6th, 2012
1:28 pm
Rusty May 6th, 2012 10:53 am
What is it with you Southerners that implore you to name anything that doesn’t move after someone?
**************************************************
oh pray tell, you be from where? Obviously not proud enough to tell us………………..
Dawg89
May 6th, 2012
1:51 pm
I like Sanford Stadium. No hyphens, just tradition. How can people that get so spun up over the dawgs wearing black shirts, black pants, or other non-traditional uniforms, support the idea of changing the stadium name?
007
May 6th, 2012
3:03 pm
I like Michael Adams, can’t say the same about the other person in this conversation.
trey
May 6th, 2012
3:08 pm
Bradley, you’re always trying to stir something up. You don’t rename a stadium just because you think Dooley’s exit was handled “incorrectly”. Maybe you’d have more credibility with your blog if, rather than used emotionalism, you stated a case on why you think Dooley’s tenure at UGA is equal, or better, than that of Dr. Sanford’s accomplishments.
Just up the Street
May 6th, 2012
3:37 pm
indiana jones field or luke sky walker field
hahaha
May 6th, 2012
4:48 pm
Should be Herschell/Dooley-Sanford Stadium since Dooley would have never won all those games without him!
Eddie
May 6th, 2012
4:55 pm
No, no, no. We don’t need to go about the business of renaming our grand old stadium. This is akin to us messing with the uniforms and other such gimmicks that lesser programs are compelled to do. Sanford Stadium. It’s a strong and stately name that does not need to be addressed. The relationship between Dooley and Adams has got nothing to do with our Stadium … using it to solve the issues between them cheapens the field where the Dawgs do battle.
observor
May 6th, 2012
6:18 pm
Vince Dooley is one of the most overrated coaches around. In the 22 years that didn’t include Herschel, he averaged 7 wins a year. Big deal, that’s the epitome of mediocrity. On top of that, Dooley has always been about Dooley. I’m not a big fan of Adams, but what we had here were two D-bags going at it, and the bigger D-bag lost.
Redman
May 6th, 2012
8:11 pm
Why?
Hmmmmmmm
May 6th, 2012
8:12 pm
Wow,
I’m not sure if I would want my stadium named after one of the MOST corrupt football coaches in UGA history… Just sayin….
Dawg Bite
May 6th, 2012
9:22 pm
Vince the Prince should have bolted to Auburn when they called for him long ago! It was Erk who built the Dogs, not VD, and all of the players knew it. This guy has reaped all of the credit, but his reign was a sham. If not for the Jan Kemp episode, UGA would still be nothing but a football factory. Give Dr. Adams credit, he raised the bar for academics, not athletics, and that is what the Univ. of Ga. should be about. Rename the stadium to honor VD, Bull Hockey. Send the Dooleys to Knoxville where they can revel in their orange attire!
Fan of the Game
May 6th, 2012
9:47 pm
First thing Adams needs to do is apologize to Dooley. Yes Dooley Field in Sanford stadium sounds good. Coach Dooley built one of the best athletic programs in the country. He cared about the total athletic program and I can’t say that about many football/AD coaches.
Fats
May 7th, 2012
12:08 am
Forget both of em………………….name it Jan Kemp Stadium……………..She had more guts than both of em together.
Columbus
May 7th, 2012
4:12 am
It will be a waste of time to rename it because after the seasons UGA has the next 10 years, to go along with the past 10, it will be renamed Richt stadium, when he retires with more SEC championships then Dooley ever dreamed of winning.
If not for Herschel, Dooley won 1 or 2 and tied another SEC title? Richt has won 2, been to 2 more SEC title games and will win several more and at least 1 national Championship over the next 10 years and if he chooses, coach at UGA longer than Dooley also. (Dooley also did not have to contend with Florida who we played every year because they were a win every year pre-Spurrier)
Without Herschel, Dooley was a good coach, but nothing special other than coaching 25 years. If Richt coaches for 25 years at UGA, he will make Dooley’s 200 wins look paltry and will be entitled to having the stadium named after him. So I say to Adams and the next prez, do not do it because Richt is way ahead of where Dooley was at the same time of their coaching career. Took Dooley 17-18 years to win the National Championship and it looks like Richt will get one sooner than that based on progression and recruiting and could have had one already had the BCS not chosen LSU to play in the NC instead of UGA when UGA killed Hawaii in the Sugar Bowl.
Dooley’s administration was also marred in numerous NCAA investigations and sanctions…
Put it all together and if things progress on schedule and if Richt’s Dawgs do what they should the next 5-10 years, it will be Richt-Dooley Stadium in Athens. Dooley should get his name on it too because he did win a NC and HIRED RICHT.
Columbus
May 7th, 2012
4:16 am
It was Erk and Herschel for 3 years primarily. Vince did some good things and was AD but because of his tenure as AD and the Kemp deal, the NCAA has been all over UGA since. 25 plus years. He did hire Richt so he did want a clean football program as well as a great coach and he spotted that in Richt when Richt had never been a head coach. I love Dooley but Richt is a far better coach and has only coached 10 years and is way ahead of Dooley and when all is said and done will have a greater and cleaner legacy than Dooley.
Weather Channel Expert
May 7th, 2012
6:41 am
Vince Neil Stadium, Mick Mars Field, Tommy Lee Locker Room, and Nikki Sixx scoreboard.
John
May 7th, 2012
7:44 am
Nothing like another controversy-but of course you never considered that, did you ?
Old Guy
May 7th, 2012
7:59 am
No
what of it?
May 7th, 2012
8:15 am
why was it wrong to get rid of Dooley? Was the blatant nepotism within the football program a good thing? what did georgia ever win with him as AD? What’s wrong with keeping it just Sanford Stadium?
This is such a lazy, pandering article that assumes the premise of its title.
DooleyCrapsHisPants
May 7th, 2012
8:15 am
Not just no, but hell no!