Dooley, Vince, 1932-

Vince Dooley was born in Mobile, Alabama on 4 September 1932. He is one of five children of Nellie and William Dooley. He attended McGill Catholic High School in Mobile and later Auburn University, both in Alabama. Dooley spent two years in the United States Marine Corps before returning to Auburn University to obtain his bachelor's degree in business management in 1954 and his master's degree in history in 1963. He served as the assistant coach at Auburn before taking the position of head football coach at the University of Georgia in 1964 at the age of 31. During Dooley's twenty-five year tenure as head football coach, the Bulldogs won the 1980 national championship title, six SEC championships, won 201 games, and played in 20 bowl games. He led the Bulldogs until 1988 and is among the winningest coaches in the history of college football. In addition to excellence on the field, Dooley encouraged academic excellence in his players. Under his leadership more than 100 student-athletes received academic awards and post-graduate scholarships. Dooley served as the University of Georgia's athletic director from 1979 to 2003. As athletic director he developed men's and women's athletic programs and was responsible for significant improvements to the University of Georgia's athletic facilities including the Butts-Mehre Heritage Building, the Football Letterman's Club, additions to the tennis complex, a new track grandstand, a new baseball stadium, an Olympic size natatorium, and a skybox addition to Sanford Stadium. Dooley has been a member of the College Football Hall of Fame since 1994, received the NCAA National Coach of the Year award twice, and "Georgian of the Year" by Georgia Association of Broadcasters and National Volunteer of the Year. He was an analyst on ESPN college football telecasts, president of the American Football Coaches Association, named third Vice President of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), served on the NCAA Football Rules Committee, served on the NCAA Recruiting Committee, and he was named to a special NCAA Committee to study a Division I-A football championship. Among Dooley's many philanthropic interests, he served over 25 years as chairman of the Georgia Easter Seals and is involved with the Salvation Army, Boy Scouts of America, and other charitable organizations.