Georgia announced on Thursday that the field at Sanford Stadium will be named after legendary Bulldogs coach Vince Dooley. The school will hold a ceremony before the Bulldogs home-opener vs. Murray State on Sept. 7 to officially dedicate "Dooley Field at Sanford Stadium."
"I can think of no better way to open the 2019 home football schedule than dedicating Dooley Field at Sanford Stadium," athletic director Greg McGarity said. "The event will be a moment for the entire Bulldog Nation to collectively say 'thank you' to a man who has devoted much of his life to making the Georgia athletics program one of the strongest in the nation."
Dooley went 201-77-10 as the coach of the Bulldogs from 1964-88, won six SEC titles and the 1980 national championship. He also served as Georgia's athletic director from 1979-2004.
"Coach Dooley's many contributions to this university can be seen across campus," university president Jere Morehead said, "from Georgia athletics, where he achieved unrivaled success, to the learning environment, where today many academic programs and initiatives bear his name, such as the Dooley Library Endowment Fund to the Dooley Professorship in Horticulture. The university community will continue to benefit from his service and dedication for generations to come."
The re-naming of the stadium must be formally approved by the University of Georgia and the University System of Georgia Board of Regents.
"It's a great day for the University of Georgia and its football program," said 1982 Heisman Trophy winner and former Georgia running back Herschel Walker. "Coach Dooley was such a great mentor to me during my career at Georgia and beyond. Congratulations to Coach on this well-deserved honor."
The two-time defending SEC East champion Bulldogs will open the 2019 season at Vanderbilt on Aug. 31.
