He will always be Georgia's football coach. In Athens, he was our neighbor and friend

Georgia football has lost a legend. More importantly, Athens has lost a neighbor.

Vincent Joseph Dooley, better known as Vince, has passed away at 90.

Everybody knew him as Georgia's legendary football coach, who has an entire field named in his honor inside Sanford Stadium.

Others knew him as Barbara's husband.

Athens knew him better than anyone.

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We knew where Vince's house was in Five Points. We would see him strolling down the street, dining in any of Athens many establishments or picking out produce at a local grocery store.

We'd wave hello, say 'hey coach' and ask how the family was doing or what he thought of this year's Bulldogs.

He'd always oblige a kind response.

We knew Vince to be a writer and gardener. If you drove by his house, you'd see Mr. Green Thumb out there from time to time working away to make sure his garden was immaculate.

That's the side of Vince we witnessed as Athenians.

We didn't need to go to the bookstore to see coach, you could find him on any given day inside Butts-Mehre, or sitting at a football game at Monsignor Donovan because the Dooley's family name is on that field as well.

Dooley became a figure larger than life to the University of Georgia, but to Athens, where he called home for nearly 60 years, he was our friend and neighbor.

In 2019, I didn't know 'Coach' Dooley as well as most, and he knew me even less.

One of our first encounters came when he joined me and Athens Banner-Herald beat writer Marc Weiszer in our office studio for the Bulldogs Extra Podcast.

Listen Here (Begins at 7:00 mark)

He reminisced and joked for more than 30 minutes, giving his thoughts on the days of old and what he thought Kirby Smart would be able to soon accomplish as head coach.

Our deal was that Marc would pick him up at his home and bring him to the studio and I would give him a lift to a photo session we had set up at Sanford Stadium before driving him back home.

It was a few days before his name was going on the field, and we wanted to feature him that week for our Gameday section.

As we drove from our downtown office to Sanford Stadium, we shared in banter about the podcast and the field being named in his honor, but Coach was more concerned about me, the person.

He asked where I was from, how I ended up in Athens and how long I'd been at the newspaper.

When I told him my hometown was Douglasville, Georgia, he recalled several times he'd been west of Atlanta to recruit players. He mentioned that Charley Whittemore was from Douglas County, a fact I had on the tip of my tongue ready to deliver before he beat me to the punch.

It was a memorable ride, especially for someone who was raised learning the history and traditions of Georgia football. That day, like so many Athenians, I became a friend of Coach.

It was special being able to see him hug Kirby Smart on the field after last year's national championship game.

Happy that he got to see the Bulldogs, after 41 long years, win one more national title before he passed.

More: Vince Dooley explains what embrace with Kirby Smart meant after UGA's national title

I gather that many small peas like myself have experienced similar situations. And many Athenians can tell similar stories.

Those who knew him best were his players. Some who would go off other places and others who remained close here in Athens.

On the day Sanford Stadium added Dooley Field to its name, hundreds of former players showed up.

They hugged him and thanked him. More for what he did for them off the field than on it.

“I hope I provided them a good example in life,” Dooley said. “That, I think, is what I really strived for, that they could look back and felt like I was a good example for them in life.”

I think we can all live by that example, Coach.

Ryne Dennis is an editor, sportswriter and columnist for the Athens Banner-Herald. He can be reached at rdennis@onlineathens.com or on Twitter @RyneDennis. 

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Vince Dooley passes away and Athens loses longtime neighbor and friend