# Derek Dooley (American football)
**Derek Dooley** (born 1968 in [Athens, Georgia](https://www.edgepedia.org/athens-georgia)) is an [American football](https://www.edgepedia.org/american-football) coach and former college head coach whose six seasons leading Louisiana Tech (2007 to 2009) and Tennessee (2010 to 2012) produced a 32-41 record, and who later served as an NFL assistant coach and announced a 2026 Republican campaign for the U.S. Senate in Georgia.[1](https://www.profootballarchives.com/coaches/dool00300.html) • [2](https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/coaches/derek-dooley-1.html) • [3](https://apnews.com/article/a1b7705b3b8d585ba3e5fd683f59f81c) He is the son of Vince Dooley, the longtime [University of Georgia](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-georgia) head coach.[3](https://apnews.com/article/a1b7705b3b8d585ba3e5fd683f59f81c)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1968, Athens, Georgia; high school Clarke Central (Athens, GA)[1](https://www.profootballarchives.com/coaches/dool00300.html) |
| Head coaching record | 6 years, 32-41, .438 win percentage at Louisiana Tech and Tennessee[2](https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/coaches/derek-dooley-1.html) |
| Louisiana Tech (2007-2009) | 17-20 overall, 12-12 in conference; 8-5 in 2008 with the school's first bowl game and bowl victory in 30 years at the Independence Bowl[4](https://utsports.com/news/2010/1/15/tennessee_selects_derek_dooley_as_22nd_head_football_coach) |
| Tennessee (2010-2012) | 15-21 overall (.417), 4-19 in SEC play; fired November 18, 2012[5](https://utsports.com/sports/football/coaches/overall) • [6](https://volopedia.lib.utk.edu/entries/derek-dooley/) |
| Education | BA from the University of Virginia (1990); JD from the University of Georgia Law School (1994); practiced law in Atlanta before coaching[6](https://volopedia.lib.utk.edu/entries/derek-dooley/) |
| Later coaching | Dallas Cowboys wide receivers coach (2013-2017), Missouri offensive coordinator (2018-2019), New York Giants assistant (2020-2021), Alabama offensive analyst[7](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/upload/cowboys/k3i9j2zypk8dmlsbsxfm.pdf) • [8](https://cfb.app/coach/derek-dooley) • [3](https://apnews.com/article/a1b7705b3b8d585ba3e5fd683f59f81c) |
| Politics | Announced a 2026 Republican bid for the U.S. Senate in Georgia on August 4, 2025; endorsed by Governor Brian Kemp[3](https://apnews.com/article/a1b7705b3b8d585ba3e5fd683f59f81c) • [9](https://apnews.com/article/cf48c100dfb16e65c52fcb632a9736dc) |
## Early life, playing career, and law
Dooley played high school football at Clarke Central High School in Athens, where he was a star tight end on Clarke's 1985 AAAA State Championship team.[6](https://volopedia.lib.utk.edu/entries/derek-dooley/) He walked on as a wide receiver at the [University of Virginia](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-virginia) and earned a scholarship after his second season; Virginia went to three bowl games and won the 1989 ACC championship while he was on the team. In 1990 he was named first-team Academic All-ACC and played in the Senior Bowl.[6](https://volopedia.lib.utk.edu/entries/derek-dooley/)
He earned a BA from Virginia in 1990 and a JD from the University of Georgia Law School in 1994, then practiced law at Nelson Mullins Riley & [Scarborough](https://www.edgepedia.org/scarborough) in Atlanta before turning to coaching.[6](https://volopedia.lib.utk.edu/entries/derek-dooley/)
## Assistant coaching career
Dooley began coaching in 1996 as a graduate assistant at Georgia under defensive coordinator Joe Kines.[7](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/upload/cowboys/k3i9j2zypk8dmlsbsxfm.pdf) He then coached wide receivers at [Southern Methodist University](https://www.edgepedia.org/southern-methodist-university) while also serving as assistant recruiting coordinator, moved to LSU as recruiting coordinator and tight ends coach (2000-2002) and then running backs and special teams coach (2003-2004), and joined the [Miami Dolphins](https://www.edgepedia.org/miami-dolphins) staff in 2005 under [Nick Saban](https://www.edgepedia.org/nick-saban), who had left LSU for the Dolphins.[6](https://volopedia.lib.utk.edu/entries/derek-dooley/) Pro Football Archives records nine NFL seasons as an assistant from 2005 to 2021 with a 145-74-0 regular-season record, including tight ends coach with Miami in 2005 and 2006.[1](https://www.profootballarchives.com/coaches/dool00300.html)
## Louisiana Tech head coach (2007-2009)
In December 2006 Louisiana Tech named Dooley head coach, his first head coaching position, and in 2008 he additionally became the school's athletic director.[6](https://volopedia.lib.utk.edu/entries/derek-dooley/) • [10](https://rolltide.com/documents/download/2016/6/10/release_20111017aaa_tenn.pdf) His three seasons produced a 17-20 overall record, 12-12 in conference games.[6](https://volopedia.lib.utk.edu/entries/derek-dooley/) The 2008 team went 8-5 and won the Independence Bowl, the school's first bowl game and bowl victory in 30 years.[4](https://utsports.com/news/2010/1/15/tennessee_selects_derek_dooley_as_22nd_head_football_coach) Sports-[Reference](https://www.edgepedia.org/reference) logs the three seasons as 5-7 (2007), 8-5 (2008), and 4-8 (2009).[2](https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/coaches/derek-dooley-1.html)
## Tennessee head coach (2010-2012)
On January 15, 2010, Tennessee athletic director Mike Hamilton announced Dooley's appointment as the Volunteers' 22nd head football coach, replacing the departed [Lane Kiffin](https://www.edgepedia.org/lane-kiffin), after reported rejections from Texas' Will Muschamp, Air Force's Troy Calhoun, and Duke's David Cutcliffe.[6](https://volopedia.lib.utk.edu/entries/derek-dooley/) • [4](https://utsports.com/news/2010/1/15/tennessee_selects_derek_dooley_as_22nd_head_football_coach)
**2010.** Tennessee started 2-6 but won its last four games to become bowl-eligible, then lost the Music City Bowl to North Carolina on the last play of the game, finishing 6-7.[6](https://volopedia.lib.utk.edu/entries/derek-dooley/) • [2](https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/coaches/derek-dooley-1.html)
**2011.** The Volunteers finished 5-7, losing the season finale to Kentucky and ending a 26-game winning streak against the Wildcats. It was the first time since 1910-11 that Tennessee had finished with losing back-to-back records.[6](https://volopedia.lib.utk.edu/entries/derek-dooley/)
**2012.** After a loss to Florida in a game Tennessee had controlled for most of the contest, the Vols lost six of the remaining nine games. A loss to Missouri featured a decision by Dooley to play overtime rather than attempt a winning field goal, and an 18-41 loss to Vanderbilt in Nashville was his final game as head coach. He was fired on November 18, effective immediately, and did not coach the season's final game; offensive coordinator Jim Chaney coached it instead.[6](https://volopedia.lib.utk.edu/entries/derek-dooley/) • [11](https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sidearm.nextgen.sites/utsports.com/documents/2014/7/10/MediaGuide_HistoryandRecords.pdf)
Dooley's Tennessee record was 15-21 overall and 4-19 against SEC opponents, a .174 conference winning percentage that stands in the university's published head coaching records.[6](https://volopedia.lib.utk.edu/entries/derek-dooley/) • [5](https://utsports.com/sports/football/coaches/overall) His first two recruiting classes included the SEC's leading receiver in 2011, a first-team All-SEC selection, six Freshman All-Americans, and nine players named Freshman All-SEC.[7](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/upload/cowboys/k3i9j2zypk8dmlsbsxfm.pdf)
## Later coaching career
The [Dallas Cowboys](https://www.edgepedia.org/dallas-cowboys) hired Dooley as wide receivers coach on February 4, 2013, and he spent five seasons in Dallas.[6](https://volopedia.lib.utk.edu/entries/derek-dooley/) • [7](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/upload/cowboys/k3i9j2zypk8dmlsbsxfm.pdf) In his second Dallas season, 2014, receiver [Dez Bryant](https://www.edgepedia.org/dez-bryant) set a club single-season record with 16 touchdown catches.[12](https://d98lmo17970r8.cloudfront.net/sports/football/roster/season/2018/staff/derek-dooley) Dooley then served as Missouri's offensive coordinator in 2018 and 2019 under head coach [Barry Odom](https://www.edgepedia.org/barry-odom), was a New York Giants assistant in 2020 and 2021 (senior offensive assistant, then tight ends coach), and later worked as an offensive analyst at Alabama.[8](https://cfb.app/coach/derek-dooley) • [1](https://www.profootballarchives.com/coaches/dool00300.html) • [3](https://apnews.com/article/a1b7705b3b8d585ba3e5fd683f59f81c) He stepped away from the sidelines after the 2023 season.[13](https://apnews.com/article/79206ea3f3150a1441c940c4b390b1a4)
## Senate campaign
On August 4, 2025, Dooley announced his 2026 Republican bid for the U.S. Senate seat held by Democrat Jon Ossoff in Georgia.[3](https://apnews.com/article/a1b7705b3b8d585ba3e5fd683f59f81c) He has never held elective office and campaigns as a political outsider.[3](https://apnews.com/article/a1b7705b3b8d585ba3e5fd683f59f81c) Governor Brian Kemp endorsed him, telling other Republican candidates he would back Dooley before he entered the race; Georgia Insurance Commissioner John King dropped out after Kemp's endorsement, while U.S. Representative [Mike Collins](https://www.edgepedia.org/mike-collins) remained in the field with endorsements including former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.[9](https://apnews.com/article/cf48c100dfb16e65c52fcb632a9736dc) • [3](https://apnews.com/article/a1b7705b3b8d585ba3e5fd683f59f81c) Dooley's opponents have criticized his coaching record at Tennessee and his affiliation with a non-Georgia school.[9](https://apnews.com/article/cf48c100dfb16e65c52fcb632a9736dc)
## References
1. [Derek Dooley Coaching Record, Pro Football Archives](https://www.profootballarchives.com/coaches/dool00300.html)
2. [Derek Dooley College Coaching Records, Sports-Reference](https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/coaches/derek-dooley-1.html)
3. [Former Tennessee coach Derek Dooley announces 2026 Senate bid in Georgia, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/a1b7705b3b8d585ba3e5fd683f59f81c)
4. [Tennessee Selects Derek Dooley As 22nd Head Football Coach, University of Tennessee Athletics](https://utsports.com/news/2010/1/15/tennessee_selects_derek_dooley_as_22nd_head_football_coach)
5. [Football Head Coaching Records (Overall), University of Tennessee Athletics](https://utsports.com/sports/football/coaches/overall)
6. [Dooley, Derek, Volopedia, University of Tennessee Libraries](https://volopedia.lib.utk.edu/entries/derek-dooley/)
7. [Derek Dooley biography, Dallas Cowboys](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/upload/cowboys/k3i9j2zypk8dmlsbsxfm.pdf)
8. [Derek Dooley Coaching Record & Career, CFB.app](https://cfb.app/coach/derek-dooley)
9. [Kemp endorses Derek Dooley for Georgia Senate seat, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/cf48c100dfb16e65c52fcb632a9736dc)
10. [Derek Dooley head coach release, rolltide.com document archive](https://rolltide.com/documents/download/2016/6/10/release_20111017aaa_tenn.pdf)
11. [Tennessee Football Media Guide, History and Records](https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sidearm.nextgen.sites/utsports.com/documents/2014/7/10/MediaGuide_HistoryandRecords.pdf)
12. [Derek Dooley staff profile, University of Missouri Athletics](https://d98lmo17970r8.cloudfront.net/sports/football/roster/season/2018/staff/derek-dooley)
13. [Derek Dooley didn't vote for years. Now he wants Georgia voters to send him to Washington, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/79206ea3f3150a1441c940c4b390b1a4)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Rugby and other football codes › American football players, coaches, and executives › NFL head coaches*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license