When asked what has him more excited, the start of football season or the turning of his Japanese maples, former University of Georgia football coach Vince Dooley was predictably diplomatic.
“Both,” said the coaching legend, who was recognized for just that Monday by the Rotary Club of Atlanta. No lifetime achievement awards yet for his gardening, but how many college football Hall of Famers have a hydrangea named after them?
“It’s been a passion of mine for 12 years,” said Dooley, who audited gardening classes while working as UGA’s athletics director. He easily recites the Latin names of the thousands of plants in his landscape, though, knowing his audience, the coach stuck to football Monday after receiving the Legends Award from the local Rotarians.
Before the ceremony, Dooley –- who turns 77 the day before Georgia’s 2009 opener against Oklahoma State -- huddled with the AJC to discuss Urban Meyer’s salary, Georgia Tech’s resurgence, what he misses (and doesn’t) about coaching and how he thinks the Bulldogs will surprise in 2009.
Q: What do you make of the increasingly high profiles assumed by SEC coaches like Nick Saban, Lane Kiffin and Urban Meyer?
A: The SEC has always had its fair share of individuals. Back when I coached you had Bear Bryant, Johnny Vaught, Charlie McClendon, Shug Jordan, Doug Dickey ... these were big names, and big personalities. I guess the biggest difference today is the salaries.
Q: Did you ever think a coach would be making the kind of money they are now (Urban Meyer, the SEC’s highest-paid coach, just inked a six-year, $24 million contract extension with the University of the Florida -– four times as much as Dooley ever made coaching at UGA)?
A: I never would've thought you'd see a coach making that kind of money. I don't know where it's going to stop.
Q: Is it too much money?
A: That's not for me to say, but you wonder. It's like with the CEOs -– the public finally decided their salaries were getting out of control and there was quite an outcry.
Q: Most analysts say Georgia won’t contend for the SEC title this year. What do you think of the team’s chances?
A: There's two things, as a coach, you always want to accomplish. One. Win the championship. Two. Do better than you're supposed to do. There was no way last year's team could do better than they were supposed to do, and so it was going to be hard for that team to make everyone happy. I think this year's team will make people happy, because they're going to do better than people think."
Q: What makes you optimistic?
A: They've got a better line of scrimmage than last year, and I've always believed it's what's up front that counts.
Q: Do you think this year’s team can benefit from last year’s disappointing showing?
A: I think what happened last year will be a motivator. There's a real recommitment to team at Georgia. There's no superstars now, so they're going to have to win as a team. Again, I think they're going to make people happy this season.
Q: What do you make of Georgia Tech’s resurgence?
A: They have an excellent football coach [Paul Johnson]. And they run that offense that people aren't used to seeing. It drives them crazy. I think they're building a really solid program there.
Q: Do you still attend all of Georgia’s games?
A: Just the home games now. I find it easier to watch the road games on TV in the comfort of my home.
Q: It’s been a little more than 20 years since you coached your last game. What, if anything, do you miss about being on the sideline?
A: You do miss some things. You miss the challenge of team building. You miss the thrill of victory. But you don't miss the agony of defeat.
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