Dawn of the Dawg
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Georgia football: Top five Bulldogs who excelled outside of the NFL

By Kyle Funderburk

Sep 10, 2016; Bristol, TN, USA; College Gameday hosts Samantha Ponder and David Pollack prior to the Battle at Bristol football game between the Virginia Tech Holies and Tennessee Volunteers at Bristol Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 10, 2016; Bristol, TN, USA; College Gameday hosts Samantha Ponder and David Pollack prior to the Battle at Bristol football game between the Virginia Tech Holies and Tennessee Volunteers at Bristol Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports /
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31 Dec 1996: Quarterback Dameyune Craig of the Auburn Tigers moves the ball during the Independence Bowl against the Army Cadets in Shreveport, Louisiana. Auburn won the game, 32-29. Mandatory Credit: Brian Bahr /Allsport
31 Dec 1996: Quarterback Dameyune Craig of the Auburn Tigers moves the ball during the Independence Bowl against the Army Cadets in Shreveport, Louisiana. Auburn won the game, 32-29. Mandatory Credit: Brian Bahr /Allsport /

3. Pat Dye: College Football head coach

Several former Georgia football players have gone on to become head coaches, but none were as good as Pat Dye. It’s just unfortunate that Dye coached for one of Georgia’s biggest rivals in Auburn.

Dye was a member of the last three Georgia football teams coached by Wally Butts making him a part of Georgia’s 1959 10-1 SEC Championship team.In his last two seasons in Athens (1959 and 1960) Dye won All-American Honors and he was the SEC’s Most Valuable Lineman in 1960.

However, Dye was not drafted into the NFL and instead spent three years playing for the Edmonton Eskimos.

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In 1965, Dye was hired by Bear Bryant to be a linebackers coach at Alabama where he spent eight seasons and was a part of a few national championship teams.

In 1974, Dye went to Greenville, North Carolina to become head coach of the East Carolina Pirates where he became one of their greatest head coaches after only six seasons. In 1976, Dye led them to a Southern Conference Championship. 30 years later, East Carolina inducted Dye into their Athletics Hall of Fame.

Dye left East Carolina to coach Wyoming for one season before coming to Auburn in 1981. By 1983, he had led the Tigers to their first SEC Championship in 26 years. Dye’s record in 12 years at Auburn was 99-39-4 and he won four SEC Championships between 1983-and-1989.

Dye made Auburn football relevant again, something that they had struggled with since Pat Sullivan left in 1971. He ended the SEC Championship drought as well as a nine-game losing streak against Alabama. For that, in 2005 Auburn named the football field at Jordan-Hare Stadium after Dye.

In 19 years as a head coach, Dye had a record of 153-62-5 with five conference championships. The College Football Hall of Fame inducted Dye into their 2005 class.

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