Late in his life, as the lawsuits were making the NCAA’s life more miserable than ever and paying the players was bringing about consternation for the game, the late Vince Dooley said in a casual conversation, “I am glad I coached when I did.”
In the two and a half years since he passed away, the circumstances which he deplored have become exacerbated. Some players are making millions and embracing free agency. What would he think if he were here today?
Dooley was a very successful coach over a 25-year period, winning a national championship and six Southeastern Conference titles. In addition to his coaching accomplishments, his interest in the total university made him a rare campus icon. Certainly, for a football coach.
He audited classes, became a master gardener, and wrote books. He is the only sports figure to speak to both garden clubs and touchdown clubs.
When I see the current Bulldog football coach, Kirby Smart, at work, I often conclude that this brilliant young coach has similar qualities. He, too, was an exemplary student athlete who has a brush of versatility and supports the ideals of higher education. However, he could never venture where Dooley ventured.
My assessment is that if Dooley had come along today, he would have done what was necessary to succeed just as he did in his time. In the final analysis, you conclude that he would have found a way to compete. He was a winner. Just like Kirby in his era.
Recently featured in the UGA libraries periodical, “Beyond the Pages,” there was the announcement that the libraries have named an award for Vince and Barbara Dooley. Officially, it will be known as, “The Vince and Barbara Dooley Friends of the UGA Libraries Award.” The first honorees are Craig and Diana Barrow, which I am sure would have pleased the former Bulldog coach.
Vincent Joseph Dooley grew up on the waterfront in Mobile. He was street wise and could fend for himself. He had an exposure to the wayward lifestyle of the inner city, but a strict Catholic upbringing and the cogent leadership of the priests and nuns at school kept him focused, disciplined and off the streets except for pickup football games where he had to learn to dodge moving cars.
As much as he enjoyed the thrill of competition, he was also a serious student where reading became a centerpiece of his life. He was as comfortable at the library as an undergraduate at Auburn, where he earned a Masters degree, as he was on the gridiron.
When he arrived in Athens, the first place he visited outside the UGA athletic complex was the Ilah Dunlap Little Memorial Library. He was a frequent visitor there over the years and made a six-figure gift to the UGA libraries once he settled in as coach of the football team. He also headed up a fund-raising campaign for the libraries that enhanced reach and function this important special unit on campus.
In traveling with him over the years, he made it a defining practice to spend time at museums, historical places, and explore meaningful landmarks. Airplanes had something in common with libraries—a great place to read.
