September 4

When you think Georgia Bulldogs, you probably think Vince Dooley. The legendary football coach’s long shadow didn’t just touch the University of Georgia, but collegiate athletics across the country.

Dooley played football for coach Shug Jordan at Auburn University. He also earned a degree in business and a master’s in history there.

After his Marine Corps hitch, Dooley returned to Auburn as an assistant coach. In 1963, at 31, he was hired as head coach at the University of Georgia. He led the Bulldogs to 201 victories over a 25–year career – including big winning records against arch-rivals Florida and Georgia Tech.

Dooley’s teams won six SEC championships and played in 20 bowl games. His most memorable season was 1980, when Heisman Trophy winner Herschel Walker led the Bulldogs to an undefeated season and the national championship, beating Notre Dame. As athletics director, Dooley led UGA teams to 23 national championships.

Vince Dooley was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1994. The living embodiment of Georgia’s flagship university was born in Alabama on September 4, 1932, Today in Georgia History.