Former Tennessee Volunteers head coach Derek Dooley has announced that he’s running for the U.S. Senate in the state of Georgia. A native of Athens, Dooley is the son of former Georgia Bulldogs head coach Vince Dooley.
Dooley is set to run against incumbent Jon Ossoff after speculation grew about a potential run. He is also running on a campaign slogan of “Georgia First.”
“I’m running because our state needs leadership in Washington D.C., and professional politicians like Jon Ossoff are the problem,” Dooley said. “Leadership matters. Our state doesn’t have a voice in the U.S. Senate who reflects Georgia values because Ossoff is more concerned with protecting his own political future, opposing everything the Trump administration is working to accomplish, and repeatedly voting with the radical left. Unlike Ossoff, I’ll work with President Trump to implement his agenda, support his Administration, and move our country forward.”
In his statement, Derek Dooley would go on to emphasize that he’s not part of the “political establishment.” He would also emphasize his career as a head coach, saying, “The foundation of football is the American Spirit.”
Further, Dooley argued against transgender women competing in sports. He then argued against open borders and advocated for saving money. Along with that, he wrote, “As your Senator, I’ll work hard every day alongside President Trump to keep our borders secure and communities safe, keep your taxes low, stand with the brave men and women who serve our country, and create greater opportunities for all Georgians.”
Derek Dooley, like his father, has spent his professional career as a college football coach. That began in 1996 as a GA with the Georgia Bulldogs. Most recently, he found himself on the Alabama Crimson Tide staff from 2022 to 2023 as an analyst. However, he’s best known for his stint as the head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers. Prior to that, he had also been the head coach and athletic director of the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs.
For his career as a head coach, Dooley has a 32-41 record overall. He was also just 4-19 in SEC play while he was the head coach at Tennessee. Previously, he had been 12-12 in WAC play from his tenure at Louisiana Tech.
Derek Dooley is far from the first football coach to run for office. Currently, former head coach Tommy Tuberville is a senator from Alabama. Former Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel, meanwhile, is the Lieutenant Governor of Ohio. Even Nebraska legend Tom Osborne had a stint in the US House of Representatives.
This move for Dooley to run for the US Senate comes at a time of major changes in college sports, regarding NIL, transfer portal, and revenue sharing. With that, there has been a push for Washington D.C. to help through legislation.
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