Dooley had a “tense relationship” with former players at the University of Tennessee and players he coached thought Dooley “needs his spoiled ass whooped.” Dooley had a violent streak on the sidelines and cracked under pressure at Louisiana Tech.
Dooley was a “laughingstock” as Tennessee head coach and was included on CBS Sports’ “25 worst coaching hires this century.” Sports reporters thought Dooley was short-tempered and “wasn’t good at relationships.”
Georgians were weary of Dooley’s candidacy and his home county’s GOP chairman planned to “take a pass on Derek Dooley.” Attendees at Dooley’s events were unimpressed with the candidate and Atlanta-area Tennessee fans were confused by his entrance to the Senate race.
Dooley Had A “Tense Relationship With Former Players” At Tennessee. According to the Kansas City Star, “In addition to on-field struggles, Dooley’s micromanaging tendencies became an issue at Tennessee. He had a reportedly tense relationship with former players after he tightened the rules regarding when they could be inside the football program’s facilities. Dooley had come from Louisiana Tech, where he was used to handling everything. After one season as Louisiana Tech’s football coach, he also took on the role of athletic director.” [Kansas City Star, 8/6/18]
Former Volunteers Wide Receiver Da’Rick Rogers Claimed “No Player Has Had More Back Door Nonsense Conversations With” Dooley “Than Me” And Declared That “Still To This Day, He Needs His Spoiled Ass Whooped.” According to A to Z Sports, “There’s apparently been no love lost between former Tennessee Vols wide receiver Da’Rick Rogers and former UT head football coach Derek Dooley. Rogers played at Tennessee from 2010 to 2011 before getting dismissed from the team by Dooley ahead of the 2012 season. The Atlanta native spent the 2012 season at Tennessee Tech before spending parts of three seasons in the NFL. Dooley, who never had another head coaching job after getting fired by Tennessee in late 2012, is back in the news this week after announcing that he’s running for a US Senate seat in the state of Georgia. And it doesn’t sound like Dooley will be getting Rogers’ vote. Rogers replied to a tweet about Dooley on Thursday with a wild quote. ‘No player has had more back door nonsense conversations with that man than me,’ tweeted Rogers. ‘Still to this day, he needs his spoiled ass whooped.’” [A To Z Sports, 8/7/25]
Former Tennessee Player LaMarcus Thompson: Dooley “Was A Very Arrogant Person That Demanded Respect, But Didn't Earn It; He Walked Around Acting Like He Was Nick Saban, But Didn't Have The Credentials.” According to Fox News, “Thompson: Derek Dooley as a head coach wasn't the most effective, to put it nicely. His methods didn't make a whole lot of sense at times. He was a guy that would out coaches in front of the players, and never took the blame for a loss to the media, it was always somebody else fault whether it was a player or a coach. Dooley was a very arrogant person that demanded respect, but didn't earn it; he walked around acting like he was Nick Saban, but didn't have the credentials.” [Fox Sports, 7/6/15]
Former Tennessee Player Corey Larkins: “Derek Dooley Was A Loser. He’ll Always Be A Loser And He Rubbed Off On The Program And Created A Losing Attitude.” According to the Knoxville News-Sentinel, “Corey Larkins: ‘I just want to see some fight. I’ve seen our guys for the last few years not only get beat to the ground, but then the other players push up off their chest to go back to the huddle and our guys just got up and walked back to the huddle. I want to see some guys with some fight and defend the program. That mentality came from the guy we had before Coach Jones. Derek Dooley was a loser. He’ll always be a loser and he rubbed off on the program and created a losing attitude.’” [Knoxville News-Sentinel, 7/27/14]
Former Tennessee Player Troy Fleming: “The Biggest Thing About Coach Jones Is He Actually Does His Job. Unlike That Guy We Call Derek Doolittle, Who Really Did Very Little.” According to the Knoxville News-Sentinel, “Troy Fleming: ‘With Coach Jones, when you walk into the facility now it’s like you never left. The guys who have worked around the program for years are at ease now, which tells you things are good again. The biggest thing about Coach Jones is he actually does his job. Unlike that guy we call Derek Doolittle, who really did very little. This recruiting class that just came in, and with what they’re already getting for next year, I believe we’ll be better this year and we’ll be back competing in a big way in 2015, which is good because there’s a lot of people who are going to hear my mouth again.’” [Knoxville News-Sentinel, 7/27/14]
Former Tennessee Player Al Wilson: “I Really Don't Even Want To Say The Names Of The Two Guys Who Were There Between Coach Fulmer And Coach Jones. They Don't Deserve To Have Their Names Mentioned With Tennessee Football.” According to the Knoxville News-Sentinel, “Al Wilson: ‘I really don't even want to say the names of the two guys who were there between Coach Fulmer and Coach Jones. They don't deserve to have their names mentioned with Tennessee football. As somebody who went 45-5 while I was at UT, that's a place I care a lot about and I'm just glad that there's somebody in charge again who gets it and who wants to be there and take the program back to where it was and where it should be. For Coach Jones to embrace us and bring us back in is a big deal for us.’” [Knoxville News-Sentinel, 7/27/14]
Hawai'i Football Players Claimed That Slotback Davone Bess Was The Target Of Curse-Peppered Remarks From Dooley When Bess Ran Across The Louisiana Tech Sideline After Making A Catch. According to The Honolulu Advertiser, “Adding fuel to what is becoming a heated rivalry, Hawai'i football players said slotback Davone Bess was the target of curse-peppered remarks made by Louisiana Tech coach Derek Dooley during the Warriors' 45-44 overtime victory Saturday night. The Warriors said Bess was taunted when he ran across the Louisiana Tech sideline after making a catch. ‘I was really surprised, especially for a head coach, somebody with his caliber, to pretty much disrespect me, you know,’ Bess said. ‘All I said back was: 'Don't disrespect me. You're a head coach. You don't have to be like that.'’ Some UH teammates overheard the remarks. ‘I'm not sure why they have a problem with us,’ UH quarterback Colt Brennan said.” [Honolulu Advertiser, 9/11/07]
Dooley Later Called The Incident “Bad Publicity, Whether True Or Untrue, And I’m Responsible For Bad Publicity.” According to the Fresno Bee, “Dooley said the incident was embarrassing. ‘The fact of the matter is that it was bad publicity, whether true or untrue, and I'm responsible for bad publicity,’ he said. ‘Hopefully, I've learned from that.’” [Fresno Bee, 9/28/07]
Dooley Admitted That In His “Excitement To Motivate, I Got Too Carried Away And Did Something I Shouldn't Have Done” When He Slapped The Player’s Helmet; Fans Had A Mixed Reaction To The Incident. According to The News-Star, “There were two very different assessments of Derek Dooley's ‘love tap’on the helmet of his own player, which was recorded on the sideline at the Louisiana Tech-University of California game last Saturday and is available for viewing on YouTube. Strangely enough, those different assessments both came from within the camp of Dooley's own supporters. Some comments on various Web site story chats expressed downright pleasure that the first-year football coach had struck his own player. Should be more of that, those comments suggested. Shows intensity. ‘This is FOOTBALL you wimps,’ was one Dooley Dawg's take on the situation. Others–starting with Dooley himself–knew well that the coach had stepped over the line. ‘In my excitement to motivate, I got too carried away and did something I shouldn't have done,’ Dooley said publicly, confirming that he had apologized to the player and had learned from the incident. And why would you apologize if you did nothing wrong?” [News-Star, 9/20/07]
An Anonymous SEC Coach Called Dooley A “Pompous Ass.” According to The Daily Herald, “Next month, 14 football coaches will stand up at SEC Media Days and offer a stream of predictable platitudes. The media and the fans will devour every utterance. But if you want to know what the coaches really think, buy a copy of Lindy's or Athlon, two of the popular preseason magazines whose appearance on the racks signals that college football isn't that far off. Both magazines offer candid observations from SEC coaches about their rivals. It's amazing what the cloak of anonymity will do to promote candor. Here's a portion of what an unidentified coach told Lindy's about Tennessee: ‘I'm impressed with Butch Jones. He's a real down-to-earth dude, not the pompous (donkey) like Derek Dooley was.’” [Daily Herald, 6/8/14]
Dooley Called Dolphins Defensive Coach Bill Lewis To Inquire About The Dolphins Roster. According to the Times-Picayune, “The Dolphins are expected to offer Saban a contract as early as Tuesday. And all signs point to Saban being interested in the job. The Miami Herald is reporting LSU assistant head coach Derek Dooley placed a call Friday to Dolphins defensive coach Bill Lewis to inquire about the job and the Dolphins’ personnel. The Herald cited two sources, who also indicated Lewis was not happy about the call.” [Times-Picayune, 12/20/04]
Dooley Was “A Little Abrasive” And “Almost Had A Nervous Breakdown” After Arriving At Louisiana Tech. According to the Kansas City Star, “Steve Davison, a prominent Louisiana Tech booster who was Dooley’s neighbor when the coach was at the school, said some might find the coach ‘a little abrasive.’ Davison remembers Dooley accepted his first head coaching job without visiting Louisiana Tech’s campus. After arriving, Dooley ‘almost had a nervous breakdown’ and told the university president that the school’s facilities were ‘disgraceful.’” [Kansas City Star, 8/6/18]
Sports Editor For The Chattanooga Times Free Press Stephen Hargis: “Derek Dooley Will Be Remembered As One Of The Worst Head Coaches In The History Of The SEC, A Laughingstock Among Fans And Media, And That Is 100-Percent On Him And His Lack Of Skills.” According to Fox Sports, “Hargis: Most coaches take over a program that had been struggling, or else there likely wouldn't have been a coaching change to begin with, and it's what they do with that opportunity once they're in place that defines how good a coach they are. Derek Dooley will be remembered as one of the worst head coaches in the history of the SEC, a laughingstock among fans and media, and that is 100-percent on him and his lack of skills - both as an on-the-field coach who seemed ill-prepared for any in-game situation and for being unable to connect in any way with the coaches and players he would rely on for recruiting.” [Fox Sports, 7/6/15]
The Tennessee GOP Said “Derek Dooley Couldn't Cut It As A Head Coach” And Declared That “Tennessee Would Never Re-Hire Derek Dooley”; The GOP Claimed Dooley Was “Synonymous With Failure” And Likened Him To State House District 13’s Gloria Johnson. According to a press release from the Tennessee Republican Party, “Throughout Tennessee, Derek Dooley is synonymous with failure during to his time as a head coach. In Knoxville, the same is true about former liberal legislator, Gloria Johnson. With seven days to go until the polls close, the Tennessee Republican Party released a new digital ad targeted at remaining likely voters in State House District 13 playing on the natural link between the two ineffective figures from Knoxville's past. The :30 ad features snippets of Dooley's time in Knoxville and highlights the failures of Johnson's time as a legislator, which the non-partisan Sunlight Foundation ranked as the ‘most liberal.’ Johnson voted against balanced budgets, failed to support a ban on a state income tax, and supported food stamps being used in liquor stores. Tennessee Republican Party Executive Director Brent Leatherwood remarked, ‘Derek Dooley couldn't cut it as a head coach and neither could Gloria Johnson as a legislator. Instead of focusing on improving our education system and working to create an environment for job growth, Representative Johnson pushed an ineffective liberal agenda. Tennessee would never re-hire Derek Dooley. Why would Knoxville re-hire Gloria Johnson? Instead, voters should support a real reformer who's achieved real results Eddie Smith. He's putting our volunteer values first and he's making a difference for his community.’” [Press Release – Tennessee Republican Party, 11/1/16]
Dooley Was Named The 10th Worst Coaching Hire Of The Last Century. According to CBS Sports, “Unfortunately, the vast majority fail miserably at even finding a winning coach, let alone one capable of winning major championships. That's where this list comes in. If there are 25 best hires, we believe there must be 25 worst ones, too. These are the hires that still make you shudder if you're a fan of the program. The coaches who delivered lows you didn't even believe were possible. [...] 10. Derek Dooley, Tennessee Record: 15-21 Dooley had the pedigree but not the resume when Tennessee hired Vince Dooley's son to replace Lane Kiffin. Dooley had only made a single bowl game and had a 17-20 record at Louisiana Tech before making a jump to Knoxville that proved to be too big for him. Dooley went 3-2 against Kentucky and Vanderbilt, 0-6 against Georgia and South Carolina, finished sixth in the SEC East twice and lost 14 of his last 15 SEC games. Dooley led Tennessee to its first back-to-back losing seasons in 100 years and set the program back years.” [CBS Sports, 7/6/25]
Knoxville News-Sentinel Reporter Dave Hooker: Dooley “Didn’t Want To Connect To The Fan Base” And “Didn’t Think It Was Important To Do Interviews.” According to Fox Sports, “Hooker: Dooley didn't think it was important to do interviews shortly after he was hired. That's when most coaches get in front of the media to build fan equity. Dooley did not. Therefore, after his first spring practice, there must have been over 30 media members waiting to interview him. After practice, with many reporters on deadline, Dooley decided to get a jog in while wearing khakis and a straw hat. He ran two laps around the field before meandering over to the assembled reporters. I immediately turned to another reporter and said, ‘This isn't going to end well.’ If Dooley didn't want to connect to the fan base, he was never going to succeed.” [Fox Sports, 7/6/15]
Nashville Sports Reporter Joe Dubin Said That Dooley Was Impatient And Had Short Fuse. According to Fox Sports, “Joe Dubin: Sports Reporter/Anchor at WKRN-TV in Nashville. Today, Sports Reporter/Anchor at WSMV-TV in Nashville. The Davidson County alumni picnic rolled through Nashville in 2011 and I was doing the sportscast from Lipscomb's Arena for this event. They brought Dooley down right as I tossed to the break. It was a 1 minute, 30 second break, so 90 seconds total (and remember the 90 seconds, we will come back to that). I thanked him for coming and doing this interview and he nodded. He was headed to SEC Media Days the next day and I said, ‘That's a lion's den, huh?’ He replied, ‘It is, it certainly is and JESUS, THIS IS THE LONGEST 90 SECONDS OF MY LIFE. YOU SAID 90 SECONDS RIGHT? THIS IS LIKE 90 MINUTES!’ During his diatribe, I started talking, ‘And welcome back to Lipscomb where the UT alumni picnic is getting ready to start and...,’ as I get ready to turn to Dooley and start talking, he is still bitching, non-stop. ‘I HAVE TO GO SPEAK AND GET SOMETHING TO EAT AND I AM JUST STANDING HERE DOING NOTHING!’ I said, ‘Coach Dooley, thanks for your patience and how are you?’ He was steamed! Walked away at the end as I was thanking him and I thought, man, this has gone to his head.” [Fox Sports, 7/6/15]
WATE Sports Reporter Prentice Elliott Said Dooley Had “Limited PR Skills” And Was “Unaccommodating When It Came To Media Requests.” According to Fox Sports, “Prentice Elliott: Sports Photographer/Reporter at WATE-TV in Knoxville. One year, he gave out ‘Iron Vol’ awards to the media members that hadn't missed a practice. The ‘winners’ were allowed to sit in on an entire scrimmage. The rest of us were escorted out after the typical 10-15 minutes. This caused a myriad of competitive problems for the different outlets as everyone was searching for the smallest bit of information that could differentiate their coverage. Of course, any information gained from one scrimmage was negligible, but it just underscored Dooley's limited PR skills. Ellis: One summer I had to wait almost an entire month to get a 10-minute phone conversation with Dooley for an SI story. In my career I've never had to wait longer to talk to a coach for a story. As I'd eventually learn, this wasn't the fault of UT media relations. People inside the athletic department later told me Dooley was just frustratingly unaccommodating when it came to media requests.” [Fox Sports, 7/6/15]
ESPN Reporter Chris Low: “Dooley Wasn’t Good At Relationships.” According to Fox Sports, “Low: Recruiting is all about relationships and Dooley wasn't good at relationships. Players felt shunned and he really dropped the ball. Where he dropped the ball was offensive line. They (Dooley and staff) weren't good evaluators. They would target the wrong guys. They couldn't bring in enough quality guys.” [Fox Sports, 7/6/15]
Bookman: Trying To Parlay Football Career Into US Senate Run Is A Tired Play, Even With Dooley Name [Jay Bookman Op-Ed – Georgia Recorder, 7/3/25]
Jay Bookman: Dooley Was A “Failed Football Coach” With His Last Name Being His “Sole Asset.” According to a Georgia Recorder op-ed by Jay Bookman, “If I wanted a failed football coach as my U.S. senator, I’d move to Alabama. And I’m not moving to Alabama. Seriously, what in Derek Dooley’s resume makes him think his next job ought to be serving Georgia in the U.S. Senate? At age 57, his sole asset as a political candidate is his legendary last name, gifted to him by his late father, the longtime football coach and athletic director at the University of Georgia. In football, that name opened a lot of doors for the younger Dooley, but once inside those doors he wasn’t able to stay long. His career peaked with a surprise hiring as head coach of the University of Tennessee, where he was fired in 2012 after building the worst record of any Volunteer coach since 1906. Yet to hear Dooley tell it, mediocrity in other fields might be the perfect qualification for government work. He apparently aspires to be a generic candidate, spouting generic rhetoric, and in that sense at least he is already off to a grand start.” [Jay Bookman Op-Ed – Georgia Recorder, 7/3/25]
Ed Henderson, A Longtime Leader In The Rabun County GOP, Was “Going To Take A Pass On Derek Dooley Until I At Least Meet Him And Have A Chance To Talk To Him.” According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, “It’s all riding on a political unknown with a famous last name — Dooley is the son of UGA coaching legend Vince Dooley — but no political record, no experience in public office and who is largely unknown to many voters. ‘As much as I personally like Brian Kemp,’ said Ed Henderson, a longtime leader in the Rabun County GOP, ‘I’m going to take a pass on Derek Dooley until I at least meet him and have a chance to talk to him.’” [Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 8/5/25]
Attendees At Dooley’s Idle Hour Fundraiser Described Him As “Boring, Forgettable, And Unimpressive”; Dooley Struggled To Answer Questions Off The Cuff And Donors Worried That “This Guy Can’t Be Our Best Option” To Defeat Jon Ossoff. According to a Monroe County Reporter op-ed by Philip Swicegood, “Two weeks ago, Dooley held a fundraiser at Idle Hour that was described to me by three different people in the room as ‘boring, forgettable, and unimpressive.’ When I pressed further, each said Dooley delivered a memorized stump speech but struggled to answer questions off the cuff. ‘This guy can’t be our best option,’ said a friend of mine in the room. If Dooley is this bad in a small setting of handpicked Republican donors who are presumably on his team, how is he going to look on a debate stage against a seasoned, well-spoken Jon Ossoff?” [Philip Swicegood Op-Ed – Monroe County Reporter, 9/25/25]
Fans Thought Dooley Was A “Terrible Coach” But A “Nice Guy” And They Hoped “He’s A Better Politician Than Football Coach.” According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, “Fans and alumni of the University of Tennessee who live in the Atlanta area gathered at a tavern in Buckhead to cheer on the Volunteers. [...] Here is a sampling of what Tennessee fans told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution about Dooley’s campaign for Senate. His coaching career at Tennessee was abysmal ‘I hope he’s a better politician than football coach,’ said Mary Brink, who lives in Buckhead. Mark Gault, who lives in Stone Mountain and took graduate classes at UT, echoed that same statement. ‘Terrible coach, nice guy,’ he said. Gault, who considers himself a ‘broken-hearted Democrat’ and feels the party has moved too far to the left, said he would be open to voting for a Republican.” [Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 9/13/25]
One Alumnus Asked, “Is He Just Running On The Dooley Family Name?” But Thought He Was “A Great Leader” As Head Coach. According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, “Add Seymour, who graduated from UT 1995, gave credit to Dooley for attempting to turn the Tennessee football program around. ‘The program was in disarray, but Dooley was a great leader. The job was just too big for him at the time,’ said Seymour, who lives in Midtown. But voting records showed Dooley did not vote in presidential elections in 2016 or 2020. He also didn’t cast a ballot in Georgia’s presidential primary last year. ‘Is he just running on the Dooley family name?’ Seymour asked. Seymour said he is more likely to support Ossoff. ‘Ossoff has done a solid job in Congress. He’s been upfront, honest and out there on issues, like the Postal Service,’ he said.” [Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 9/13/25]