By Msgr. Noel Burtenshaw

When Barbara Neshad went to Auburn in 1957 she was ready for a rip-roaring time at college. She was not to be disappointed. Coming from John Carroll Catholic High School, in football crazy Birmingham, Barbara was at home in heavenly Auburn.

First of all, they went undefeated for her first two whole seasons, the sky-high War Eagles beat Bear Bryant and his Tide twice and Barbara met a handsome young freshman coach, wild to make college football a career. His name was Dooley. Ex-star quarterback Vince Dooley.

“He was the faculty adviser for the Newman Club,” remembers Barbara “so we met quite a lot at church functions at the club on campus. He was head freshman coach.”

Barbara’s subjects at the university were speech therapy and retardation counseling. She also took a lot of side courses in freshman football coaching. While she achieved most respectably in her studies she excelled at helping the coach. In 1960 after graduation, she and Vince were married.

“I went back and got a masters in speech” says Barbara and Vince continued his coaching. It was his life. He loved it at Auburn.”

But changes were coming. Each week Vince was on the road scouting future War Eagles opponents. On many of those long weekends from home, he would travel with another southern football coach, Joel Eves from the University of Georgia.

Going To Georgia

“Coach Eves liked what he saw in Vince,” says Barbara with pride. “Vince was totally dedicated to this vocation. He had a good football mind and his dedication was obvious.”

Barbara’s words echoed the sentiments of Eves. This was born out in 1963. Eves became Athletic Director at Athens and he named an unknown coach from Alabama as keeper of the Georgia Bulldogs. Vince, Barbara and their new family moved across the state line to Georgia. The legend was about to begin.

“I knew Vince would be successful,” says Barbara confidently “because he’s a good man. He’s got his priorities straight. Often during the years at Georgia, I would want him to do other things but his work with the team came first.”

“For example,” the first lady of Georgia football goes on “I wanted, often, to do social things, but no, his work would have to be first. I remember waking one morning at 5:30 when he was rising and saying how much I pitied him starting work at such an early hour. And you know what he said to me. ‘I have never felt it was work’. You have to love it and Vince does.”

Besides his dedication Barbara is ready to give other reasons for the fabulous success of her famous husband.

“Vince has been able to change with the times” says the beautifully southern accented Barbara. “And that’s an accomplishment. Many coaches have not. You cannot train young men like they did 30 years ago. You cannot stubbornly interfere with their private lives, how they dress and cut their hair and all that stuff. You cannot make them run till they drop and hope they will respond. They won’t.”

Florida Game

“Now, Vince has his rules,” cautions Barbara with emphasis. “He is disciplined himself. They respect that virtue in him and accept his rules. He’s very fair.”

A few months ago, Barbara was in an unfortunate auto accident in Athens which has had some physical effect on her. “But I still go to the games,” says this enthusiastic fan. “I try never to miss. I saw that Florida game from a Winnebago in the parking lot at Gainesville. What a game. That was one of Vince’s all time favorites. It was so exciting and the win kept us undefeated.”

And what was Vince’s second most memorable game: “Well, it had to be the Alabama win in 1965. Remember that? That was the flea-flicker game. Oh, Vince loved that win.” Barbara Dooley feels that the whole world remembers that game and somehow you just don’t argue.

The whole world also seemed to think that the Dooley’s would take their fame and move back to Auburn this year. “That was touchy,” says Barbara. “We prayed over that one. But we knew it would be right when the decision was made. Vince has a motto – Never look back. We’re glad we stayed.”

How did the famous UPI Coach of the Year get into the business anyway? “Well,” says Barbara frankly, “He quarterbacked the Auburn team before graduating and going into the Marines. And he loved the Marines. He was stationed at Camp Lejeune and wrote Coach Jordan at Auburn asking about job openings. Vince has told me that he would have made a career of the Marines if Mr. Jordan had not responded.”

“Of course, he’s always loved football. As a kid growing up in Birmingham he would listen to the Notre Dame games on radio. Sure he wanted to go to Notre Dame -–every Catholic kid did – and play there and coach there. But now, as number one team, he is taking them on in the Sugar Bowl.”

Parishioners Of St. Joseph’s

Vince and Barbara Dooley are parishioners at St. Joseph’s parish in Athens. Barbara is also a member of a prayer group in Athens. “This is not a parish group,” says Barbara. “It is an ecumenical group that meets each Wednesday. And we have also made the Cursillo. Vince and I really got a lot out of it.”

The Dooleys have four children Deanna is 19 and away at school. Daniel is 17 and is offensive guard at Athens High School. Denise is 16 and Derek is 12. “We started with Ds and just kept them going.”

Will any of the boys go into coaching? “Oh, yes, indeed, Daniel is determined to be a coach. He’s a bit small to play in a big school, but he wants to coach.”

When it is all over for the Dooley’s at Georgia and Vince retires from football, what will he do? “I have thought about that,” says Barbara, and you know she has. “Some say he will teach – he loves history. But I don’t. I feel he may stay with sports and become an athletic director. He would be a good sportscaster for radio or TV. Or, he may go into politics. He would be a good politician, you know. He is very qualified and very dedicated.” Coach Of The Year

But, first of all, Barbara Dooley is grateful for this good year at the University of Georgia. As we spoke, UPI had picked Vince Dooley as Coach of the Year, just one of many national honors coming his way. Barbara was looking forward to a successful New Year’s Day in New Orleans and being proclaimed Number One in the nation after beating Notre Dame.

“It has been a great year for us,” says Barbara Dooley, “and New Orleans will be a special time for all the fans. And, Father, you are a fan, right? Come on now, Father, get your priorities straight. Come on …”

Barbara how could you doubt me!