Photo: Derek Dooley, by John Tures

By John A. Tures, Professor of Political Science, LaGrange College

When I told a local resident that I was going to see Derek Dooley, a Georgian candidate for the U.S. Senate, he responded “We have to stop having all of these football coach political candidates.” But what I learned yesterday at his talk in West Georgia is that he is not like other football coach candidates. He might just pull off an upset win in the Republican Primary. And perhaps in the Fall 2026 Senate contest, Dooley could be the nominee to upend U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff (D-GA).

To begin with, this is Dooley’s first run for public office that I have ever found. He’s going against two elected Republicans from the House of Representatives (Buddy Carter and Michael Collins). As a coach, he doesn’t have an SEC conference title from his time at Tennessee, or a National Championship from Louisiana Tech, though he got them their first bowl win since 1977. And he counts UGA, Alabama, LSU, Missouri, the Cowboys, Giants and Dolphins on his coaching resume’, as an assistant.

Oh yeah, and not only did he work for Nick Saban, but also has a famous father, the legendary University of Georgia coach. “When you’re young, you don’t realize the impact your dad has on you,” he noted to the crowd.

But Dooley does have a few plays that separate him from other first-time candidates, and even ex-sports coaches who enter politics. He has a law degree, and practiced law.

When I asked him about how this experience helped him, he replied “Law teaches you when you face roadblocks, how to find another way. It’s about understanding the other side, and keeping an open mind. I have zero regrets about going to law school. It gets you thinking about lots of ways to solve problems.”

Keep in mind, he said this to a room full of Republicans. I repeated it to my law students.

Dooley cited being upset with Joe Biden and Jon Ossoff during the COVID-19 pandemic as a reason to run for office. Of his Senate opponent, he stated “It’s not easy to run against him. Not many people know about him. He raises a lot of money and keeps a low profile. In 2020, we didn’t know a lot about him because there wasn’t a lot of game film on him. Now we do. And we can go on offense. I liked going on offense in football.”

He cited being upset with inflation, borders, Afghanistan, gender and sports. But his critiques were bipartisan. “DC is not working. Both parties care more about the next election, being a celebrity on social media, not on leadership and service.”

What would you focus on? “First, term limits. We can do it. Second, affordability. It’s a concern for the long haul. There are some who seem to think it’s a new issue. It should always be a priority.”

How would he handle affordability? He cited inflation, and the spending scandal in Minnesota. “First, we don’t know how all of the money is being spent. Second, we need to lower costs for business. Third, we need workforce development. Our businesses need people with skills.”

He noted being a fan of Reagan when he was younger, and Trump now. “He delivers results. He’s an outsider, and he’s outcome oriented. But we can’t live off executive orders. The House and Senate need to be doing their jobs.”

On a question about cryptocurrency, he said he saw it as an evolving industry, but we need to set some rules for consistency, linking it to rules of the game, and the desire to learn more about it. When asked about elections, he cited Governor Brian Kemp’s mantra that it should be easy to vote and hard to cheat, with strong support for early voting.

The biggest link he had in his speech to football and coaching was the impact upon younger people. “Regardless of race or income, all have dreams. We don’t just try to make them better players. We try to make them better people, better dads, and better husbands.”

Though he has the least political experience in the race, Dooley seems like one not to count out. He’s not just a different kind of candidate on paper than the others. His support of early voting, willingness to tough the benefits of law, and recognizing the critical importance of affordability, instead of dismissing it as a hoax. These stands may be what helps surprise his opponents in the primary and general election.

John A. Tures is a professor of political science at LaGrange College in LaGrange, Georgia. His views are his own. He can be reached at jtures@lagrange.edu or on “X” at @johntures2. His first book “Branded” a thriller novel, has been published by the Huntsville Independent Press (https://www.huntsvilleindependent.com/product-page/branded).