Derek Dooley didn’t get to where he is through merit. He got there through his last name. He’s said so himself.

IN HIS OWN WORDS

When asked whether he would have gotten his early coaching jobs without his father’s famous name, Dooley answered honestly: “My response would be that’s probably accurate for the first two jobs I got.”

• His first job at Georgia: working for coach Jim Donnan, whom his father Vince Dooley had hired
• His first paid job at SMU: working for coach Mike Cavan, who was one of his father’s former players
• His job at Tennessee: an ESPN reporter asked the obvious question — “Does Dooley get this job if his last name isn’t Dooley?” The answer was clearly no.

THE FIRING RECORD

Then came the jobs he earned on his own — and lost:

• 2012: Tennessee fired Dooley after three consecutive losing seasons and an embarrassing loss to Vanderbilt. He led UT to its first back-to-back losing seasons in 100 years.
• 2018: The Dallas Cowboys let him go under pressure. A Cowboys wide receiver implied Dooley never actually coached anyone to run routes.
• 2019: Missouri fired him after a losing season. Dooley sued the university and collected $200,000 plus attorney’s fees.

NOW, POLITICS

Jay Bookman of the Georgia Recorder put it plainly: Dooley’s “sole asset as a political candidate is his legendary last name, gifted to him by his late father.”

Dooley disagrees. He thinks losing taught him about the “American spirit” and that his 32 miserable months in Knoxville have somehow prepared him for the U.S. Senate.

Georgia voters will be the judge.