Photo: Getty Images
Legendary former Georgia Bulldogs head football and athletic director coach Vince Dooley has died at the age of 90, the athletic program announced in a press release on Friday (October 28) shared by ESPN's Paul Finebaum.
The university said Dooley "died peacefully at his home in the presence of his wife and their four children Friday afternoon at the age of 90."
"Our family is heartbroken by the death of Coach Dooley," current Georgia head coach Kirby Smart tweeted on Friday. "He was one of a kind with an unmatched love for UGA! He and Barbara embraced my family from day one. He will be missed in our community, university, and in college athletics.
Dooley is Georgia's winningest coach in program history with 201 career victories, six SEC titles and the 1980 national championship during his 25 seasons (1964-88) as the Bulldogs' head coach and also served as the school's director of athletics for 25 years (1979-2004).
Georgia finished the 1980 season with a perfect 12-0 record, defeating Notre Dame, 17-10, in the Sugar Bowl to win its second of three national titles in program history.
The then-89-year-old was also in attendance for the Bulldogs' College Football Playoff National Championship Game victory against Alabama in January.
Dooley played quarterback at Auburn University from 1951-53 prior to joining the program as an assistant coach for eight seasons.
The Mobile native is a member of both the College Football and Alabama Sports Halls of Fame.
Dooley is also the father of former Tennessee Volunteers head football coach Derek Dooley, who coached the Vols from 2010-12.