Downtown Athens intersection renamed for legendary UGA coach Vince Dooley in ceremony

Barbara Dooley walked to an outdoors podium Monday morning where she shared stories about her husband, the football coach with the most wins in University of Georgia history.

On the hill behind her, at the crossroads of Lumpkin and Broad streets, the state was installing signs − observable from all directions − that from this day forward it has become the “Vince Dooley Memorial Intersection.”

Coach Dooley died a year ago in October. Now just a few days before the UGA Bulldogs run onto the field of Sanford Stadium to open the 2023 season, an official dedication of that busy intersection was made to honor the legendary coach.

When the Dooleys came to town in 1964, Barbara Dooley recalled that her husband began a tradition of visiting downtown Athens after games to “drag the main,” the main streets of downtown.

“From 1964 to the day he died, we drove the main,” she said. “Students now are packed at 10 o’clock at night.  In 1964, it was dead.”

Customs and sights change over time.

Georgia state Rep. Houston Gaines recalled how over the decades of Dooley’s time in Athens he had impacted many lives.

Gaines introduced a resolution that was passed by the state General Assembly to honor Dooley with the intersection.

As a youth in middle and high school, Gaines said he would go to football games at UGA with former tennis Coach Dan McGill, who became a local legend in his own right. There the youngster sat in the press booth with people like McGill, sports commentator Jeff Dantzler, and sports information director Claude Felton.

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“It was an amazing experience for me,” said Gaines, who made the introductory comments including acknowledging the presences of Gov. Brian Kemp and his wife Marty, UGA President Jere Morehead, UGA Athletic Director Josh Brooks, several members of the General Assembly and local officials including Athens Mayor Kelly Girtz.

Kemp, who also grew up Athens and graduated UGA, paid tribute to the coach, who amassed 201 wins during his coaching career.

“While we will certainly miss his presence on the sidelines and around town, events like this reminds us his legacy will outlast all of us and inspire a whole new generation,” Kemp said.

Kemp noted how proud people are of the Dooley name and what it represents.

“Now that name has a prominent place forever here in the heart of Athens,” the governor said.

Morehead, president at UGA for the past 10 years, said it was fitting that the intersection carries Dooley’s name.

“It is a location on this campus where the University of Georgia meets downtown Athens,” he said.

“As we ring the Chapel bell in victory after every Georgia game, we’ll look at the Vince Dooley Memorial Intersection and remember his historic achievements as head football coach and athletic director,” Morehead said.

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Vince Dooley honored where Athens and UGA campus intersect in downtown