Honoring the life and legacy of Vince Dooley and expressing condolences to his family, friends, and the University of Georgia community on his passing.

Whereas Vince Dooley was born on September 4, 1932, in Mobile, Alabama;

Whereas Vince Dooley excelled in multiple sports such as football and basketball and would go on to play quarterback for the Auburn University Tigers;

Whereas Vince Dooley served his country as an Infantry Officer in the United States Marine Corps;

Whereas he returned to Auburn University to serve as an assistant under legendary football coach, Ralph Shug Jordan;

Whereas, in 1960, Vince Dooley married the love of his life, Barbara Ann Meshad;

Whereas Vince Dooley would serve as the legendary head coach of the University of Georgia Bulldogs from 1963 through the 1988 season;

Whereas Vince Dooley lead the Georgia Bulldogs to a 201–77–10 record as head coach, as well as winning 6 Southeastern Conference championships and the unforgettable 1980 national championship;

Whereas Vince Dooley served until 2004 as athletic director for the Georgia Bulldogs, where he would create a powerhouse athletic program;

Whereas Vince Dooley received 5 Coach of the Year awards, was voted 5 times as the SEC Coach of the Year, received the Bear Bryant Lifetime Achievement Award, and he was elected into the College Football Hall of Fame, Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, Florida-Georgia Hall of Fame, the Marine Corp Sports Hall of Fame, as well as the University of Georgia Circle of Honor;

Whereas, in 2019, the University of Georgia named their football stadium Dooley field in his honor;

Whereas, in addition to his success on the football field, Vince Dooley was a master gardener and has a species of roses named after him in his honor;

Whereas Vince Dooley was passionate about United States history and worked with historical organizations to preserve American Revolutionary War and Civil War battlefields, including the Kettle Creek battlefield site;

Whereas Vince Dooley donated numerous papers to the Georgia Historical Society and was inducted as a Georgia Trustee by the Georgia Historical Society;

Whereas Vince Dooley was an accomplished author and published several books on football, leadership, history, and horticulture;

Whereas, after a lifetime of accomplishments and service, Vince Dooley passed away on October 28, 2022, at the age of 90;

Whereas he was a pillar of the community and made a lasting impact on the history, people, and culture of the great State of Georgia; and

Whereas the University of Georgia community, including the alumni, athletes, students, faculty, and staff, will mourn the passing of this college football legend and will continue to remember his legacy each time the Georgia Bulldogs run out on to Dooley Field chanting Go Dawgs: Now, therefore, be it