Ex-Tennessee Head Football Coach Derek Dooley Launches Senate Bid in Georgia

The former Vols coach is launching a campaign to become the state's newest United States Senator.

Ex-Tennessee Volunteers head football coach Derek Dooley is launching a campaign to become the next United States senator in Georgia. / Michael Patrick, Michael Patrick/News Sentinel

Ex-Tennessee Volunteers head football coach Derek Dooley has launched a campaign to become the next United States Senator in the state of Georgia.

Dooley, who spent six seasons as a head coach in the FBS, including three with the Volunteers from 2010-'12, has left college football entirely and will now move into politics. He is seeking a nomination as a Republican candidate, with the primary winner looking to unseat elected Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff.

"The foundation of football is the American spirit. You work hard, you play by the rules, you keep fighting when adversity hits—you have a fair shot at achieving your dreams. As a coach, I wanted that for all my players. As [Georgia]'s next U.S. Senator, I want that for all Georgians—and all Americans," he said in a statement through his campaign.

Doley went 17-20 in three seasons at Louisiana Tech from '07-'09 and 15-21 in three seasons with the Volunteers.

Since his stint at Tennessee, he bounced back and forth between college and the NFL as an assistant coach. His last football job was as an offensive analyst at Alabama under Nick Saban during the 2022-'23 season.

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