The recent firing of Georgia’s Mark Richt means that Vince Dooley is still the last Bulldogs football coach to step down on his own terms.
Dooley retired after the 1988 season, having guided Georgia to a 201-77-10 record in a quarter century that included six Southeastern Conference championships and the 1980 national title. The 83-year-old Dooley was a guest this week on “Press Row” on Chattanooga’s ESPN 105.1 FM.
Q: What was your reaction to Richt’s firing?
A: “I think it’s kind of the sign of the times as far as coaches trying to be at one place for a long period of time. I’m one of the last of the Mohicans, and Frank Beamer at Virginia Tech probably IS the last Mohican. It’s almost like corporate America now in that they hire people and pay them good money, but after a period of time there is a change. Mark Richt lasting 15 years is almost like 25 years when I coached.
“I think he was a victim of his own success in terms of high expectations. There were three times when Georgia was picked to win the East, but then Missouri showed up defying the odds and Florida came out of nowhere this year. Mark Richt was highly successful on the field and ultra successful off the field with his character and the way he represented the University of Georgia.”