Many people hear the name Vince Dooley and immediately think of the University of Georgia’s 1980 National Championship season. Yes, the legendary football coach enjoyed a 25-year career as the head coach of the Bulldogs that saw him amass over 200 wins, six titles Southeastern Conference and an induction into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1994, but Dooley’s knowledge of the college football landscape extended far beyond the lines on the field.
On December 10, 2009, then-Kennesaw State University President Daniel S. Papp announced that Dooley would chair a 33-member committee charged with exploring the pros and cons of bringing a football program to KSU. The committee would consist of students, faculty, staff, alumni, business leaders, important community members and well-wishers of Kennesaw State University.
“The launch of the Football Exploratory Committee is the next logical step in the progression of the KSU athletics programs,” Papp said in a 2010 Kennesaw.com story. “We are thrilled that a coach of Vince Dooley’s caliber has agreed to lead us through this process as KSU decides whether or not to start a football program.”
Over the next nine months, Dooley, along with the Football Research Committee, conducted extensive research and interviews in search of an accurate recommendation to present to the Kennesaw State University administration.
After years, the day came to present the research and make a recommendation. On September 15, 2010, President Papp accepted a very positive recommendation from Dooley to move forward with the university’s interest in developing a football program.
The results of the nine-month study showed there was solid support for starting a successful football program at Georgia’s third-largest university.
“It has been an honor to oversee the hard work and enthusiasm of the four subcommittees. They did a very thorough job,” Dooley said at a 2010 press conference at Kennesaw State University. “We worked through some difficult issues over the past several months to come up with the Committee’s recommendation, which I am especially pleased to say represents the overwhelmingly positive view that the University should move forward with building a football program.”
Dooley had successfully led the effort to give the Owl Nation its long-desired football program, and just like that, KSU football was born.
“Coach Dooley was such an asset and resource for us to have after bringing football to our campus. It should be noted that he didn’t just leave us alone after the exploratory committee was done. He stayed with us and supported his knowledge and insights. Throughout the charge. Having an opportunity to work with him is one of the highlights of my career. He was one of the classiest people I’ve ever met,” said Scott Whitlock, then KSU’s Interim Athletic Director and administrator for a long time.
Kennesaw State football and coach Brian Bohannon were on a mission to prove the right of the legendary football coach. The Owls, who began play in 2015, became the most successful starting program in college football history. No other program accumulated more wins in its first five seasons than Kennesaw State, which posted 48 wins in its first 63 games.
Since his start, the Owls have won 11 or more games in four of six full-time seasons while appearing in the FCS playoffs four times and earning five postseason victories. Entering the 2022 season, KSU was one of three teams in the nation to win a playoff game in each of the last four fall seasons, joined only by North Dakota State and James Madison.
“I wouldn’t be sitting here today, and Kennesaw State football wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for Coach Dooley. I don’t know if you’ll find a better man on the planet. He was a coach of big and administrator, but at the end of the day he was a great person,” Bohannon said after Saturday’s win against Charleston Southern.
“He would always stop by for 15 to 20 minutes just to sit in the office and listen to whatever was going on and give his advice and wisdom on the situation. I definitely want to pray for Barbara and the family theirs. There’s just no better person on the planet who influenced everyone along the way.”
Dooley’s resume on the field makes it clear that he was one of the greatest college football coaches in history. However, what he did in bringing football to Kennesaw State shows that his knowledge of the game far exceeded the playing field.
“When Coach Vince Dooley was named Chairman of the KSU Football Research Committee, immediate credibility came to the project. Not only did he become the face of the committee, but he also provided a wealth of knowledge and guidance to its members. Coach Dooley was an inspirational and iconic leader in college sports nationwide and we were so fortunate to have had his presence and counsel,” said KSU Director of Athletics Milton Overton.
So yes, most people will remember Coach Dooley for his success while at the University of Georgia, but Owl Nation remembers him for giving them a chance.
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