Barbara Dooley on son Derek: ‘That’s my baby and I’m pulling for Tennessee’
Barbara Dooley, pictured with her husband of 52 years, Vince Dooley, makes no bones about it. She will be wearing orange and pulling for the Tennessee Volunteers Saturday at Sanford Stadium. (AJC photo by Brant Sanderlin)
ATHENS – Make no mistake about it. There are no split allegiances or conflicted emotions for Barbara Dooley. The longtime First Lady of Georgia Athletics will be decked head-to-toe in orange on Saturday and rooting for the Tennessee Vols.
More specifically, she’ll be pulling for her youngest son, Derek Dooley, who at this moment happens to be Vols’ head football coach, and a beleaguered one at that.
“I’ve never been conflicted about it,” said Barbara, Vince Dooley’s wife of 52 years and Derek’s mom of 44. “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.”
At this point, most of them get it. This is, after all, now old hat for the Dooleys. Derek is in his third season as Tennessee’s coach. So they’ve done the road trip to Knoxville and, after Saturday, will have twice endured the awkwardness of seeing their son on the opposing sideline at Sanford Stadium. They’ve developed sort of a routine for dealing with it.
Vince, the Bulldogs’ head coach and athletic director for a total of 41 years, won’t come anywhere near Sanford Stadium on Saturday. He’ll watch the game on the television in their Milledge Circle home, where he can twist and kick and cringe in private. And Barbara will dress in resplendent orange and go to the game like always. She said she’ll sit in the same UGA press box suite she has for a half-century.
“It’ll be my routine Saturday of entertaining and getting to the game,” Barbara said. “We’ve got a house full of company. I plan on eating, making people happy, then going to the game and sitting in the middle of a bunch of Georgia people. like always.”
As for her husband, she said, “I can understand how Vincent really and truly can’t go into that stadium that he worked in for so many years. It’s such a part of his life. He can’t just go sit in there. Plus, he could never have any privacy and just watch the game.”
As for her son, these are difficult times for him. The heat has been turned up in Knoxville, where he’s 14-15 overall and 3-1 this season. At issue is Derek’s record against ranked opponents. He’s 0-11 coming into the Georgia game. The Bulldogs are, of course, ranked No. 5.
“I don’t have any illusions of grandeur,” Barbara said of Saturday’s matchup. “I just hope Tennessee plays the very, very best they can play. Then we’ll see what happens.”
It’s not likely to get better for Derek if the Vols don’t start winning big games such as this Saturday. He inherited a tough situation, following the failed one-year experiment that was Lane Kiffin. But patience is not generally equated with modern-day college football.
“I think Derek went to Tennessee and the cupboard was really bare. It was bare, bare,” Barbara said. “So I think he’s done a really good job of recruiting his own players in there. But it’s just going to take time. I hope the fans realize you can’t snap your finger and do it. They look at [Nick] Saban, who had tremendous success at LSU and tremendous success at Alabama, but the cupboards were full there. They just needed somebody to point them in the right direction. This is a whole different situation and I think the Tennessee people realize it.”
Barbara also thinks the Vols have been a bit unlucky. She referred to last year’s game in which quarterback Tyler Bray broke his thumb on the helmet of Georgia linebacker Christian Robinson. She became friends with Robinson as they both rehabbed injuries in the Georgia football training room.
“I’m telling Christian Robinson right now to keep his hands and his head to himself,” she cracked. “He killed our season.”
Barbara was asked if she was concerned about her son’s job security.
“Of course I’m worried,” she said. “I was worried when Vince was coaching. Are you kidding?”
She reeled off stories of Georgia fans hanging Vince in effigy, having an airplane drop “Dump Dooley” fliers all over Athens and coming home from vacation to find a for-sale sign in the front yard.
“Come on, I’ve been there,” she said with a laugh. “I got sick from it. Literally I was a nervous wreck. But we knew it was like that when we took the job. I remember Vince saying, ‘just keep a suitcase ready because we never know when they’re going to throw us out of here.’ So I didn’t clean the house for 25 years. I kept thinking we were going to move.”
Alas, they never did. She hopes Derek can stay put as well.
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224 comments Add your comment
Charles
September 27th, 2012
11:05 pm
I’m over it brother. Been over Babs for ages, as have been most folks around Athens. But your little spiel about ’supporting your kid’ doesn’t hold water here. Barbara has gone out of her way, in a very public manner, to attract attention on this. She busted into a booth in Athens totally unannounced and made a fool of herself. If she had a grain of class, she’d follow her husband’s lead…that’s how an adult acts in these situations.
Charles
September 27th, 2012
11:07 pm
And for the record, huh, to your last point. I agree with Archie and Vince, if he does indeed pull for his kid. What I don’t agree with is Babs’ amateur hour, one-too-many martinis approach. If you do, you’re lost.
WDE
September 27th, 2012
11:16 pm
@Charles if I remember right Babs wasn’t announced but was baited by that radio host and showed up to defend her wearing of the orange..not sure if that is the truth or not just what I heard . Let me be clear I respect the Dooley’s all 3 of the ones we are talking about here..couldn’t have been easy for Derek growing up in Athens as Vince’s son..however I would love to beat the son’s team badly enough to cause momma to shed a tear…after all it is football in the South.
Charles
September 27th, 2012
11:19 pm
WDE – individuals in high profile positions are constantly ridiculued by know-nothing radio personalities…those with sense laugh…those that are completely insane drive to the station. Make sense?
Huh?
September 27th, 2012
11:22 pm
WDE…you are correct. Finebaum defended her on that (which is saying something for him)…she got baited. Charles just doesn’t like Barbara, so it doesn’t matter what you say…he’s going to disagree.
funny...
September 27th, 2012
11:23 pm
Good for her.
bardawg
September 27th, 2012
11:24 pm
Cut Barbs a little slack, she’s doing what any of your mothers would do, and that’s standing beside her baby. No matter the age of young Mr. Dooley ,that’s still her baby boy ,and don’t you forget it. Apparantly, folks posting on here don’t have a clue about being a parent. That motherly instinct outweighs any supossed loyalty to UGA or any other college. But I still hope we whip his a$$ like the proverbial red-headed step-child that would’nt cut the grass! GO DAWGS&GATA!
WDE
September 27th, 2012
11:25 pm
@Charles I’m in no way defending her actions in that case anymore than I am ignoring her past years of contributions . Do you really think she is pulling for other teams over UGA than the one one her son is coaching? Do you think she ever has? And please I’m not wanting to start a fight with you just my two cents..Go Dogs!
funny...
September 27th, 2012
11:26 pm
I think it would have strange if she said she was pulling for Georgia.
Charles
September 27th, 2012
11:32 pm
I don’t care if she pulls for UT…never have…what makes me laugh is her making a public spectacle of it every year. Hell, she should pull for UT…but going out of her way for five years now to make it known to everyone and their brother is hilarious.
Charles
September 27th, 2012
11:34 pm
Huh – of course Finebaum defended her…he’s the most prolific UGA/Richt hater there is. He will defend anything that isn’t aligned with UGA.
Strange Murphy
September 27th, 2012
11:36 pm
Vince needs to put his woman in her place.
Charles
September 27th, 2012
11:40 pm
WDE – No, I don’t think Babs pulls for any other UGA teams. Not for one second.
WDE
September 27th, 2012
11:41 pm
@Strange Murphy I take it you either sleep alone or pay for companionship..
WDE
September 27th, 2012
11:44 pm
@Charles I never really thought you did and have a great night…man I’m hoping for a win this weekend it won’t come easy I fear..
babs
September 28th, 2012
12:17 am
after Ga delivers a beatdown over UT, babs needs to comfort her little boy after the game. UT fans are ready to run him out of town—he can’t coach at this level.
Huh?
September 28th, 2012
12:30 am
Charles…nope…Finebaum hates Auburn…have you ever listened to his show? His absolutely does not hate UGA. Now, he pokes at all SEC schools except for Bama, but he hates Auburn.
Huh?
September 28th, 2012
12:33 am
Anyway, it’s clear that you dislike Barbara for whatever reason. You can say it’s because she makes a spectacle of it (she doesn’t…she just says she is going to pull for her son when she is asked), but that’s not really it. You just can’t stand the fact that someone might pull against UGA…especially someone with ties to UGA. I think most people understand why and are on her side.
Tdawg
September 28th, 2012
12:51 am
Sorry but you will have to forgive me if I’m not buying the Barbra Dooley BS. I wonder if Benedict Arnold’s mother was rooting for him when he decided to change uniforms. How can a person be a fan of a team for god only knows how many years and all of a sudden root for another team, especially a conference team. I can understand her being a fan or Tennessee every game except for the one game she should be a Bulldog fan. It only tells me one thing about her. She was never a god to honest Georgia Bulldog fan I don’t care how many games she attended or how much time she donated to the university. She was a Vince Dooley fan and that was all. She was only doing her husbands bidding. If I had a son that was the head coach of Tennessee and I had 5 other son’s that was also playing for Tennessee. Sorry my sons. Kill Em dawgs. Crap if my wife was a Tennessee or Florida fan we would have to sleep in seprate bedrooms for a week. If her team won, then 2 weeks. You are either a dawg fan or you never were. I supposen is one of those fair weathered fans.
Tdawg
September 28th, 2012
1:00 am
Charles not wishing any bad luck to Derrick because I actually like the guy, but do you think ole Babs will be a Tennessee fan if they were to fire her son. Of course she won’t. She’s a fair weathered fan plain and simple.
Huh? Sorry but I don’t think so. Maybe the mama’s understand, but the real dawg fans, the papa’s don’t.
Huh?
September 28th, 2012
1:15 am
Tdawg….Of course Barbara wouldn’t pull for TN if Derrick gets fired. That’s because she is a fan of her son, not the school.
As for you pulling for UGA even if you had 5 sons playing for TN…well, you are the very fans that give UGA a bad name. Sorry…but most people understand why Barbara is pulling for UT. If you don’t, then I think your priorities need to be checked.
UGA Alum
September 28th, 2012
1:21 am
I think she should stay home like Coach Dooley. Her choice, and I respect her for rooting for her son, but I don’t understand going to the stadium.
Whiznot
September 28th, 2012
1:22 am
I’m a Dawg who has hated Vince Dooley since 1968 when he lied to his team, chickened out of trying for a national championship and consequently lost Jake Scott to Canadian football. My last two years at UGA I boycotted every game. Every Dooley can go jump off a Tennessee mountain as far as I’m concerned! Go Dawgs, sic ‘em!
indianman
September 28th, 2012
6:35 am
that show just how sorry taste barbara dooley had
Craig
September 28th, 2012
7:02 am
If my son was the head coach at Tennessee, I would be pulling for them also…same goes for Florida, Auburn, etc etc……Barbara is correct, anyone that doesnt get that has a problem…..GOOOO Dawgs!!! (Thankfully, my son isnt a coach at any of the above haha!)
obamaSINLADEN
September 28th, 2012
8:05 am
no s… sherlock! this is a story? does anyone really give a rats toot what bd thinks or does?? not really. does anyone really give a rats toot about vd? not really. get the w .
hammerhead
September 28th, 2012
8:07 am
Anyone who doesn’t understand Barbara (and Vince’s) position on this doesn’t have children. When it’s your kid, loyalty to a school, team or anything else goes out the window. I appreciate the way the Dooley’s are handling this… Vince Dooley is a legend in Athens and always will be… pulling for his son to succeed doesn’t change that at all… Now, with that said; Derek ain’t my son, BEAT TENNESSEE!!
Go Vols
September 28th, 2012
8:13 am
Even before Derek came to UT I was a big fan of Vince and Barbara. Classy people and the accents remind me of great Aunts and Uncles who lived in Alabama when I was a kid. I could listen to them talk for hours. Funny, classy people that unfortunately are part of a generation that the clock is ticking on. You tell’em Ms. Dooley.
coachx
September 28th, 2012
8:38 am
I see Tennessee as a 7-5 Chick-fila Bowl team this year. With a little luck they are 8-4 and maybe creep into the Capitol One Bowl.
That is a big improvement from where UT was after the Fulmer / Kiffen debacle.
chiefdawg
September 28th, 2012
8:39 am
I don’t mind Barabra supporting her son, but don’t you think Derek could get her a seat for this game.She should have enough class not to sit in the seats that UGA supplied. I was in the same positiion with my son and I like Vince stayed at home.
Bucknfl
September 28th, 2012
8:59 am
D Dooley – Come on mom your embarassing me in front of the guys.
Mayo
September 28th, 2012
9:16 am
Any loving mom would pull for her son–and of course she’s not a real bonafide UT fan. If they fire Derek, she’ll hate UT more than anyone on the planet. Same ole story, and I knew we’d “hear” this every year as long as Derek is at UT and his mama is alive. No biggie to me.
That said, there is nothing “resplendent” about orange, Chip.
bucket
September 28th, 2012
10:09 am
This was a story the first time UT visited Athens with Derek Dooley as their head coach. It’s really old news now and I hope this is the last year we have to endure another rehashed article about what Barbara Dooley is wearing to the UGA/UT game and where she will sit and where Vince will be.
RxDawg
September 28th, 2012
10:21 am
I like Dooley. I like his press conferences. I don’t have a lot of love for UT… but whatever. That said, Dooley has been there 3 years. That’s long enough to fill the cubard back up. If I’m a UT fan, I’m wanting another man for the job.
ga gator
September 28th, 2012
10:41 am
My wife asked me to put on here if anyone would be interested in buying an extra ticket we have for sale. If interested I will give you my email address and we could meet at the ATM machine at the Tate Center.
ga gator
September 28th, 2012
10:43 am
I am interested to see how many times Jarvis Jones hits Bray in the mouth. UGA 37- 17.
ga gator
September 28th, 2012
10:52 am
Enter your comments here
ARdawg
September 28th, 2012
11:05 am
Derek is a good coach and I don’t blame Babs one iota for cheering on her boy. However, in doing so, she does relinquish the “UGA first lady” moniker. No one that ever cheers for the opposition against UGA she be allowed such a title.
That said, am I sick or is Babs kind’a hot?
Dawgingatorville
September 28th, 2012
12:00 pm
I have no problem with Mrs. Dooley supporting her son and wearing orange. However, If Derik ever parts ways with Tennessee then Mrs. Dooley should never come back and wear red and black again. Once you leave there is no going home so to speak..
McDawg
September 28th, 2012
12:09 pm
this is the time of year when i kindly tell the Dooleys to SHUT THE EFF UP!!!!!
McDawg
September 28th, 2012
12:09 pm
Babs kinda is/was hot
DP
September 28th, 2012
1:00 pm
Please, enough of the annual articles on Barbara and Vince Dooley as the Georgia-Tennessee game approaches. A column on Derek Dooley’s job status at Tennesee that included talking with some UT people and looking objectively at his body of work would be much more interesting.
Salem West
September 28th, 2012
1:07 pm
As a Die Hard Vol fan i don’t think Dooley should be/or is on any hot seat…. win or lose. I like what he is teaching the kids… respect and accountability …
TDale
September 28th, 2012
1:15 pm
da’ rick, that’s uncalled for. The Dooleys are among the finest people you’ll ever know.
Italian_29
September 28th, 2012
1:17 pm
I don’t blame Barbara for supporting her son’s team, I also agree with some earlier posters that said, Derrick’s record at UT isn’t indicative of the job that he has done at UT, he was left some very bare cupboards and has done a GREAT job getting some talent to Rockytop. I still hope that they will give him a chance to show what he can do with his players. However, he LOSES this weekend. Go Dawgs and GATA!
steve
September 28th, 2012
2:09 pm
“Barbara, I love our son too, but at 3:30 this saturday, he aint our son”
-Vince Dooley
NACSDAWG
September 28th, 2012
3:19 pm
Tell me again why I care who Barbara Dooley is cheering for….
Randy Allred
September 28th, 2012
5:06 pm
Who cares if you are pulling for him or not. He has about 4 games to turn it around or he can come home and live with you!!
UTVolsFan
September 28th, 2012
5:10 pm
Tennessee will spoil Georgia’s season. Vols will beat Dawgs between the hedges. V!! O!! L!! S!! V-O-L-S!! GO!! VOLS!! GO!!
REMINGTON
September 28th, 2012
5:30 pm
GOD BLESS YOU MS DOOLEY!!!!
I REMEMBER MEETING VINCE BACK IN THE DAY….WHAT A CLASS GENTLEMAN!!!
I BELIEVE DEREK IS THE SAME!!!!