Vince Dooley, a star for Georgia, is being treated here.
According to his daughter Deanna, the renowned football coach and veteran athletic director is suffering from pneumonia. His stay at the hospital is anticipated to be brief.
“He also has a mild case of COVID,” she said. “He’s better off having the meds through an IV at the hospital. He sure hates missing the game, but he has a great setup to watch all the games all day.”
On Saturday, Georgia will play Auburn at what is now known as Dooley Field. Dooley is a former athlete and graduate of Auburn. His favorite game has always been Georgia after a 50+ year association.
Dooley, 90, was supposed to be at the UGA Bookstore on Saturday morning as is customary on game days. Twenty novels, including his most recent, “Dooley’s Playbook,” were written by him or with him. Dooley has overcome a broken hip and a few health issues during the previous 18 months or so. ³
On September 4, Dooley turned 90. The Redcoat Marching Band performed “Happy Birthday” the day prior before Georgia’s matchup with Oregon at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The 71,000 persons present joined in the song as a whole. The next week at the Bulldogs’ home debut game against Samford at Sanford Stadium, Dooley received another serenade.
With a 201-77-10 record, Dooley has the most victories of any Georgia football coach in history. From 1964 through 1988, he served as the Bulldogs’ head coach and guided the team to six SEC titles, a national title, and an undefeated season in 1980. In his role as UGA’s sports director, Georgia also led the nation in baseball, golf, gymnastics, swimming, tennis for both men and women, and swimming.
