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
Roadrunner
May 4th, 2012
1:47 pm
I hate hyphenated titles, Hartsfied-Jackson is the worst example so far. Name the field, another building, whatever after Vince Dooley, lets not change every tradition by renaming yet another ICON to a more recent person’s name. Just my .02
Steve
May 4th, 2012
1:48 pm
This die-hard Bulldog fan says NOOOOOOOOOOO! Dooley has a statue and that should be enough, he should have gone back to Auburn when he had a chance. This Wrightsville native suggests Walker field for a name, if any, since Herschel built all those addtional seats!
Jeff
May 4th, 2012
1:49 pm
For all you Dooley-haters and naysayers out there, let me remind you of this: he is a well-respected and well-revered figure at the University of Georgia, and many schools DON’T have one of those. A few names stand above the rest when talking about the last 50 years of college football — Bowden, Osborne, Paterno, Bryant, Schembechler, and Coach Dooley’s name is right up there with Hayes, Switzer, Brown and Schnellenberger. He’s one of the top 15 or so coaches in both influence and wins, and he did a tremendous amount for UGA. Add to that his wonderful character (I’ve met him several times), his generosity to the University, and the fact that he chose to stay with BULLDOG NATION instead of going back to his alma mater when Auburn tried to call him home, and you have what should be one of the most respected men in UGA history.
So let’s respect what the man did. AND, for those of you anti-Dooley folks criticizing his record, remember this: without Dooley, maybe we don’t have ANY national championships to celebrate, and we may very well not have a SEC championship since the Eisenhower years. Who knows how Georgia turns out without a Dooley, how Nebraska fares without a Tom Osborne, or if Florida State ever achieves anything athletically without a Bobby Bowden.
Yes, Georgia probably could have won another national title or two, but just to GET in that realm of COMPETING for one is pretty remarkable and quite an achievement. Some schools never even get to SNIF the chance to PLAY for a national title (South Carolina, I’m lookin’ at you). So let’s appreciate what we have, be thankful that Coach Dooley came and stayed at Georgia, give proper due to what he accomplished, and realize that he did much MORE than just be a football coach (look at the success of Georgia’s OVERALL ATHLETIC PROGRAM from when he was A.D. from 1979 to 2003 — incredible facilities, competing for dozens of national titles, and we became a national leader in many sports like baseball, gymnastics, women’s basketball, golf, and tennis). UGA is one of the top 10 or so overall athletic programs in the nation, and a lot of that is due to the groundwork that Dooley laid 30 years ago.
Do I like the sound of naming the stadium after him? Of course. Is is practical? Probably not. Is it a major injustice if it doesn’t happen? Not really. But we should at least all be unified that yes, Coach Dooley IS at least worthy of that consideration.
Goodbye Dr. Adams and don’t let the door hit you in your fat you-know-what when you leave. Good riddance. And Coach Dooley — thanks for ALL you did for Bulldog Nation and the University of Georgia since 1964. Go Dawgs!
MFB
May 4th, 2012
1:49 pm
DO ANY OF YOU EVEN KNOW WHO SANFORD STADIUM WAS NAMED FOR AND WHY? SOMEONE WITH A LOT MORE VISION THAN DOOLEY OR ADAMS, OR RICHT!!
Elvis
May 4th, 2012
1:50 pm
I agree with Steve! If you are going to add any names, it needs to he Herschel. Without him, Dooley would have been just another coach.
btgt69
May 4th, 2012
1:51 pm
NFW ! Do ya’ll forget how many times football , basketball, baseball were on probation while he was AD or coach ? He help start the tradition of recruiting thugs and hiding academic fraud. Remember Jan Kemp and Jim Harrick? Why didn’t Dooley retire when Adams forced Harrick on him? That’s what Frank Broyles did in AR; guess who won that battle; not the President
VA Dawg
May 4th, 2012
1:52 pm
Totally agree Mark. Sanford-Dooley works! In addition to giving proper attribution to Vince’s legacy, it also better identifies the stadium with Georgia. When you say Sanford Stadium to folks around the country, many think you’re talking about Stanford out in California.
Big Al!!
May 4th, 2012
1:53 pm
Could it be that Vince Dooley was just a tad overrated? A legend in his own mind.
UGASlobberknocker
May 4th, 2012
1:53 pm
Mark, you obvioulsly have not been paying attention to the past 12 years. Adams hates Dooley. Dooley hates Adams. You can’t honestly think Adams would perform any classy gesture of any type can you? Much less involving Dooley. Better just to to let adams, the no class A hole who stole state money to pay for his son’s wedding to just leave quietly. and quicky.
Mike, pls dont let the door hit you in the butt on the way out. and please dont come back
p,s, You wont be missed
Zach
May 4th, 2012
1:54 pm
I hate Adams and love Dooley as much as the next 2011 UGA grad (Adams took away North Campus tailgating, after all!). But rename Sanford Stadium? No way! Dooley Field and there we should draw the line.
Jeff
May 4th, 2012
1:54 pm
And Elvis at 1:46 p.m., it’s obvious you’re not a true Bulldog fan. Vince Dooley did more for UGA over the last 50-plus years than probably anybody. You like having a nationally competitive football team? a huge stadium? lots of new buildings on campus, endowments, scholarships, athletic facilities, and successful programs all over campus? A lot of that is due in LARGE PART to what Coach Dooley accomplished. You wanna see what a school looks like WITHOUT a Vince Dooley? Go to Columbia and tell me how amazing South Carolina is. It’s about as boring as toast.
So shut your pie-hole, quit criticizing a man you’ve likely never met, and show some appreciation. Adams was the a$$ in this entire saga and has continually proven that. Dooley has shown generosity, statesmanship and a true love for UGA — Adams just likes people licking his boots because he has the title of “president.” So go find another school to support, elvis… we don’t need buffoons like you at Georgia.
Vince The Prince
May 4th, 2012
1:54 pm
Big Al!
Dead-on, one national title and he is a legend….well I suppose that does qualify for legendary status in Athens since they only have 1 national title. How many does Alabama have now?
Vince The Prince
May 4th, 2012
1:55 pm
Bryant-Denny Stadium, now that was a very good move to rename it after one of the greatest, if not the greatest football coach of all time.
Dawg with long Memory
May 4th, 2012
1:56 pm
I’d prefer Adams Stadium over Dooley, let’s leave it alone, and check out Dooley’s Dawgs grad rates for minorities before you go lauding him too much. Not that they were much worse than his peers.
UGASlobberknocker
May 4th, 2012
1:57 pm
As far as the stadium name, leave it as is. I love Dooley and hate Adams for how he treated vince (among other reasons), but naming the stadium after him? He did only average 8 wins a yr.Then if we did, then what, if CMR wins 200 we re name it Richt-Dooley-Sanford?
Sanford Stadium sounds just fine to me.
Telly Salava
May 4th, 2012
1:58 pm
I agree the stadium already has a wonderful name and legacy. I love Coach Dooley but stop short of renaming the stadium. Dooley Field at Sanford Stadium is ok.
Elvis
May 4th, 2012
1:59 pm
Jeff, my problem is that I HAVE met Dooley – many times. I also know ADs from other school who know him. I also know LARGE Donors that know him. My opinion comes from facts, not just some misplaced, blind love for a coach. As for being a Dawg fan, you could only hope to be as big a Dawg fan as I am!
coondawg69
May 4th, 2012
1:59 pm
NO!!!!!
UGASlobberknocker
May 4th, 2012
1:59 pm
@ Dawg with long Memory
If we named the stadium after Adams, we wold need to name it “Felon who stole money from the state of Georgia for his own aggrindizement”- Sanford Stadium.
Or maybe A hole Field.
Taco
May 4th, 2012
1:59 pm
Almost all UGA fans suck! They should name the Stadium Herschel Walker Stadium. He is the only one of those clowns to ever live up to the hype. Those were Dooley’s only real good years. Everything else is medocre at best.
Mike Adams' dog
May 4th, 2012
2:01 pm
Even I can’t stand the guy.
VA Dawg
May 4th, 2012
2:02 pm
Just to set the record straight – Alabama has 14 titles, but only 6 are legitimate. Georgia has 5, but in fairness only 1 is probably legitimate. Now that we have that out of the way, Vince’s legacy is the winningest coach in school football history. Georgia is the 3rd winningest program in the nation’s strongest conference. Was he Bear Bryant? No. The Bear was the greatest coach ever, but when you call the roll of all-time CFB coaches behind the houndstooth hat, Vince Dooley is in that room. Stop the ridiculous hate, please!
Contractor
May 4th, 2012
2:02 pm
I would not want the University of Georgia to have a two name stadium, so leave it the traditional Sanford Stadium. Dooley Field as proposed earlier in a post makes the most sense. Vince Dooley won the University of Georgia a championship, but I still don’t consider that enough to rename a stadium. Bear Bryant on the other hand deserved it after winning all of his, which no one else has done I don’t believe. I just think Sanford Stadium is too sacred of a name to go and add Dooley to it. But that’s just my thoughts, and I’m 28 years old and too young to remember the Dooley days, so maybe I just don’t understand.
curious
May 4th, 2012
2:07 pm
In 2 years, it will be Adams who?
Also, drop Sanford. Dooley Stadium. Yes!
BulldogBen
May 4th, 2012
2:07 pm
This is laughable. It’ll never happen.
Maybe when the old timers die off and they close in the stadium over the bridge.
wsj
May 4th, 2012
2:10 pm
Uh…no
Sort like the nonsense Tech did with Bobby Dodd Stadium at “Historic Grant Field”. Stick with tradition…Sanford Stadium.
Jeff
May 4th, 2012
2:11 pm
Elvis, i’ll never be as “big” a Dawg fan as you — I would have to gain 400 pounds for that.
I don’t know what “donors” or “facts” you’re talking about, but you’re out of your mind. Do you NOT realize all the growth and success Georgia had as a WHOLE during Dooley’s tenure? It was more than just football games — he helped lead an INCREDIBLY successful athletic program. Under his leadership, the donations and endowments and enrollment grew tremendously, and a lot of the infrastructure of success that the university now enjoys is due, in large part, right or wrong, to the increased support because of his success as a football coach.
I have not met any long-time Georgia supporters or fans (people who actually went there, are active alumni, and donors) who don’t appreciate what Coach Dooley did for the university. As I said before, we probably don’t need to name the stadium after him, but I can see the worthiness of it. And I don’t think UGA would be NEARLY the school — or athletic program — that it is now without the leadership of Dooley.
So whatever personal bias or hate you have for the man, I wish you’d leave it at home. And how in God’s name you could support Adams for the bush-league way he tried to force Dooley out is beyond me — Adams has ZERO grace, class, or character. And his hand-picked choice to replace Dooley as A.D. really worked out well, didn’t it?
Like it or not, you have to give Dooley his due. And if the stadium name change never comes, that’s fine with me, but you’re being ignorant if you don’t realize the value that Dooley had to UGA and how much he did for the school in 50-plus years.
Revdawg
May 4th, 2012
2:12 pm
Sanford Stadium, Vince Dooley Field is what I think would be good.
underachiever
May 4th, 2012
2:12 pm
terrible idea. dooley was an underachiever that would have a mediocre record without hershel
Trey Mehrebutts, UGA Alumnite
May 4th, 2012
2:13 pm
One of them was President of the University and one was Atheltics Director. Which one should be in charge? Vince should stick to potato chip commercials. Remember, he already has Derek Dooley named after him. What else could he want?
I dropped my fried twinkie
May 4th, 2012
2:13 pm
wjs….Tech never name the Stadium. It was just Grant Field. It made perfect sense to name the Stadium for Dodd. You need to read more before you POST with your State of Georgia GED brilliance.
gg
May 4th, 2012
2:14 pm
Well as long as we’re dedicating things, let’s dedicate the hedges to Uga!
Native Atlantan
May 4th, 2012
2:14 pm
How about ‘We became mediocre when Erk’s players left at Sanford’.
Actually, I vote for no change. It’s traditional and classic. No need to change anything.
Trey Mehrebutts, UGA Alumnite
May 4th, 2012
2:14 pm
Doesn’t matter what you name it, it’s still a pig with lipstick.
Dawgdad (The Original)
May 4th, 2012
2:18 pm
I am against naming the stadium for Dooley. Adams is a pompous, egotistical loser, whom we hope does as he says and leaves. Sooner rather than later, hopefully.
Dooley was an above average coach, who overstayed his welcome as coach and turned out to be a decent AD, but doesn’t deserve having a stadium named after him.
If we name it Sanford-Dooley, what do we do when we have a good football coach. Those stadiums with two or three names are ridiculous. The name always gets shortened and the other two guys are not acknowledged. I mean who says I’m going out to Hartsfield Jackson airport. It is usually “the airport” or “Hartsfield”, Jackson is left out.
D Nation
May 4th, 2012
2:19 pm
Who cares? Time for both of them to go away! Vince cant seem to settle into retirement as he endorses everything that comes along. Why should we name the stadium in his honor, he won one National Championship with the greatest college football player of all time. You don’t see most schools naming things for guys that win just one. No Fulmer, Stoops, Carroll, Erickson, Johnson, stadium honors. Head-to-head Richt has outperformed him by every metric in a much tougher landscape. Vince should go down in history as part of the history not as primary.
Last thought, he left the cupboard bare and made 2 pretty poor hires to succeed him. Not exactly stellar AD work either.
Trey is a D-Bag
May 4th, 2012
2:19 pm
Trey Mehrebutts, UGA Alumnite
May 4th, 2012
2:14 pm
Doesn’t matter what you name it, it’s still a pig with lipstick.
***********************
Describes your mama and your wife too……….
MountainDawg
May 4th, 2012
2:20 pm
It’s a good idea, but I don’t believe it will happen. Adams is an egomaniac, and no doubt still harbors ill will towards Coach Dooley.
Jan Kemp
May 4th, 2012
2:23 pm
I respect all that Coach Dooley did for the athletic programs at UGA, but for those that want to deify him, I think that is a bit of an overreach. He was not without his scars (see Jan Kemp). I think that the monument for him on campus is enough. He won a National Championship and a few SEC Championships which is great, but not nearly enough to change the name of Sanford Stadium. Mike Adams bungled the “retirement” of Coach Dooley, but it was clearly time for him to go. I hate that Coach Dooley pulled a Brett Favre and didn’t know it was time to step down.
DIT
May 4th, 2012
2:24 pm
Dooley field @ Larry Munson Stadium!!
VA Dawg
May 4th, 2012
2:25 pm
Wow, can’t believe all the Dooley disrespect and even hate on this board. Of course it might just be the normal rabid rival smack. Vince is the winningest football coach in school history, which ranks 3rd in the SEC and 11th nationally in all time wins. Is he Bear Bryant? No, because the Bear was the greatest coach in CFB history. Virtually nobody compares well to him, but that’s not the issue here. Vince’s 201 wins should be enough to get his name on the stadium which currently bears a name that many couldn’t identify, and also sounds too much like a school in California. Check out CFB stadiums around the country bearing names of coaches. Bet they’re not all Bear Bryants either.
I dropped my fried twinkie
May 4th, 2012
2:27 pm
After leading UGA to 201 victories, six SEC championships, and one national championship as head football coach, Dooley became Georgia’s athletics director, and built one of the most successful athletics programs in America. Despite the successes, Dooley’s tenure as UGA athletics director is associated with NCAA violations. His administration was marred by numerous investigations and sanctions for NCAA violations. As a result, few years passed without at least one UGA athletic team under either investigation or probation.
Dooley probation field maybe?
MarkT
May 4th, 2012
2:28 pm
Nice idea but never going to happen. Adams has clearly demonstrated through the years that he has neither the necessary amount of class or character to do something such as what Mark B. has suggested. It will one day be renamed Sanford-Dooley stadium, I just hope Vince is around to see it.
the old coach
May 4th, 2012
2:29 pm
Who is to say that Coach Richt will not be there longer and win just as many national championships or more in his run. Down the road and years to come what are you going to do. You think Saint Nick will ever get it changed to Bryant Denny Sabin stadium. Leave it as it is.
obama Sin laden
May 4th, 2012
2:31 pm
Leave the stadium name as is. leave the uga tradition alone. do something else for him.
judd
May 4th, 2012
2:35 pm
Come on…no way they should re-name the field. Dooley suffers from a severe case of inflated ego in my opinion. Looking back, it appears that getting him removed from the athletic dept. was indeed the right thing to do. You are overstating his importance, MB, by a mile. Adams has done all of us UGA grads a great service by enhancing the reputation of our school…and that is something Dooley never did – sorry Dooley backers.
UGA Insider
May 4th, 2012
2:35 pm
I NEVER look in the past and I advise all Dawgs to do the same…Nothing we can do about it now. Who is with me regarding Billy Payne as prez!!!!!!!
Moneyball
May 4th, 2012
2:36 pm
I would love to see Coach Dooley honored in some way but only if Adams has nothing to do with it. I bet VD feels the same way.
Mike
May 4th, 2012
2:38 pm
Probably should name it Steve Spurrier Stadium since he clearly owns the place.
bulldogbubba
May 4th, 2012
2:42 pm
He deserves an honor by himself not attached to somebody. “DOOLEY FIELD” has a nice ring to it.I also like “the munson press box”. Now “what do ya got Loren”?