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Derek Dooley, former Tennessee coach, reportedly weighing Senate run
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Former Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley is considering a run for a United States Senate seat, according to a report.
That’s per the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, who reports Dooley would be joining the Republican primary for a U.S. Senate seat in Georgia that’s currently occupied by Democrat Jon Ossoff. Dooley told the AJC that he will a decision on whether or not to enter the primary in “the coming weeks.”
Dooley, of course, is the son of legendary Georgia football coach Vince Dooley. In addition to his football coaching career, Dooley received a law degree from the University of Georgia School of Law back in 1994.
Dooley was the head coach at Tennessee from 2010-12, but was fired after he led the Vols to a 15-21 record during his tenure as head coach. After leaving Knoxville, Dooley spent another decade in coaching both in college and in the NFL. Most recently, he was a senior offensive analyst for Alabama from 2022-23.
Although he does have a law background, this would be Dooley’s first foray into politics. However, there’s plenty of precedent for former football coaches getting into politics. Former college football coach Tommy Tuberville is a U.S. Senator in Alabama and recently announced plans to run for Governor of that state.
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
