Derek Dooley didn’t do well as Tennessee’s head coach, going just 15-21 in his two-plus seasons at the helm of the program.

After being fired by the Vols in 2012, he hadn’t returned to Neyland Stadium until Saturday, when the Missouri Tigers beat Tennessee 50-17.

For Dooley, who is now the Tigers’ offensive coordinator, the win was extra sweet. However, on Monday, he was very respectful when discussing what the win meant to him (via STLToday.com):

“I was just really happy for our players,” he said Monday. “And I mean that sincerely. When you’re with them you see what they’ve invested in. You always hit your bumps along the road and get your criticism, but watching them keep fighting and stay together and having success they’ve had the last three weeks it’s what makes you feel good as a coach.

“(I) had some emotion going back there. I hadn’t been back there since then. I saw some people and everyone was great. But when the ball kicks off it’s a game between an opponent and the guys you’ve been bleeding with and sweating and crying with over the last 10 months. That’s really what it gets down to.”

The Tigers are on a three-game winning streak and face a struggling Arkansas squad on Friday afternoon. That’s what Dooley is focused on now, but after the season, he’ll probably look back at the win on Rocky Top fondly.