Learning from a legend
Students, fans meet Coach Vince Dooley
By JARED PUTNAM Union Sentinel Editor

Sentinel photos/Jared Putnam The legendary Vince Dooley, former Athletic Director at the University of Georgia, shakes hands with one of the many fans who came to meet him at the United Community Bank Brackett Room Tuesday. Dooley was there signing books throughout the day.

For one day, the purple and gold of Union County High School turned to red and black, as Vince Dooley, legendary head football coach and athletic director of the University of Georgia, spoke to students. Afterwards Dooley spent the rest of the day signing books at United Community Bank.

Fittingly enough, Coach Dooley was introduced by Coach Terry Rogers, longtime head football coach and athletic director at Union County High School.

The connections between the two go back more than two decades. In 1987 Rogers even coached Dooley's son in a high school all-star game played during the summer on the Georgia Tech campus. Derek Dooley, who played tight end at the time, is now Head Coach Derek Dooley at Louisiana Tech University.

"Coach Dooley's tenure as head football coach [at UGA] consisted of winning 201 games and six Southeastern Conference (SEC) Championships," Rogers said. "The crowning achievement in his long coaching career came in 1980 when the Bulldogs reigned supreme as the number one college football team in the country."

Highly respected collegiate coach and athletic director Vince Dooley poses with highly respected high school coach and athletic director Terry Rogers.

At the time of his retirement he was ranked third in wins among active coaches, has been named NCAA Coach of the Year two times and SEC Coach of the Year seven times. He has been inducted inducted into numerous hall of fame organizations, including the College Football Hall of Fame and the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame.

During his tenture as athletic director, UGA teams won 18 National Championships and 75 SEC Championships. During that time the program also expanded to 21 sports.

"Equally, or even more impressive is the number of citizens and community leaders he has produced," Rogers added. "The state of Georgia, the Southeastern Conference, the NCAA, and the entire country are better because of Vince Dooley's impact. It is an honor to present an American icon in athletics."

Sentinel photos/Jared Putnam Coach Dooley speaks to students from Union County High and Woody Gap High.

After the thunderous applause died down, Coach Dooley began by acknowledging his respect for Rogers, saying, "I have an equal amount of respect for Coach Rogers and his long history and success here at Union County High. I have said so many times, that I think that more than any single individual, high school coaches have the greatest opportunity to have influence [on young people.]"

Looking out at the sea of red shirts before him, Coach Dooley jokingly stated the obvious. "I guess whether you like it or not, today everybody has to be a Georgia Bulldog," he said with a laugh.

Coach Dooley talked about his upbringing, saying that his parents never even finished grammer school. Although they could not give him a lot of material things, they did give him a lot of "old values" that he has never forgotten. Values such as when you say you are going to do something, do it.

Coach Dooley soon asked the audience the question, "What advice would you give to young people?" He said that his answer to that question is, "Teach them to be lucky.

Coach Dooley signs a copy of his book as a pair of curious little guys look on.

"You can teach yourself to be lucky in whatever you are doing by doing it to the best of your ability," Dooley said. "Anything that is worth doing, is worth doing well." He said that by getting in that habit, you prepare yourself for opportunity.

Dooley wrapped up his speech by donning a UCHS baseball cap and saying five little words that drew a roar from the crowd. "Go Dawgs, and go Panthers!"