BEHIND THE MIKE

Too often people of accomplishment are recognized posthumously. I always wondered why that is.

One such man of achievement is Vince Dooley, the former University of Georgia football coach. I first met Vince in the late 70s. I had delivered a speech to the Georgia Chapter of the National Speakers Association where his wife Barbara was a member.

Some would argue that if Vince represented “lightning,” then Barbara was most definitely the “thunder.” Without question, she is a woman with her own mind… and the ability to speak it!

Barbara was an accomplished professional speaker when we first met. Like me, Barbara is of Lebanese descent. We instantly became friends and maintained that friendship over the years.

She and Vince would have me to their home for dinner when USC’s Gamecocks would venture to Athens to play the Bulldogs. I enjoyed the privilege of watching the game from their coaches’ box.

When Georgia would visit Columbia, she would sit with me on the 50-yard line, opting out of special seating for coaches’ families.

At the time we met, her son Derrick was just a teenager. He would later enter the coaching ranks after a stint with a Columbia law firm. He became nationally known when he took over the University of Tennessee football program in 2010. Prior to that he enjoyed a successful coaching tenure at Louisiana Tech, where he was the only head football coach in America to also serve as the university’s Athletics’ Director.

After the Tennessee job, Derrick moved on to the pros, where he worked for the Dallas Cowboys as an assistant coach. Today, he is Offensive Coordinator at the University of Missouri, where he seems comfortable in taking the Tigers to new offensive heights.

The Dooley family is as close to royalty as you’ll come with Vince taking the 1980 Georgia Bulldogs to a National Championship. While at the helm at UGA, he captured six SEC Championships and the national title. The University of Georgia recently named the football field in his honor.

Barbara is recognized as one of the wittiest and most entertaining women in America both on and off the stage. Her audiences sing her praise as a speaker. When Derrick was being trashed by the media for his team’s performance at Tennessee, mom became the first line of defense on such shows as the Paul Finebaum show on ESPN. Hell hath no fury like a mama bear whose cubs are in harm’s way.

Like me, Barbara is pretty much a Lebanese redneck, meaning we are both of Arabic blood descent and yet we are down home southerners. Barbara’s delivery is sparkling, and her southern humor constantly captivates an audience.

She speaks from first hand knowledge as the wife of a high-profile football coach, spewing stories of mischief and mayhem that has her audiences rolling in the aisles begging for more.

Add to that another critical dimension, that she is a cancer survivor. She is an inspiration to all who are battling cancer and other critical health challenges. Her message is always, “Make the best of any situation and find a way to laugh about it.”

Many times, the Dooley’s are booked as a team. They are one of the most legendary couples to take the stage. Corporate audiences everywhere appreciate Vince’s renowned career which is a cleverly-matched contrast with Barbara’s heart-tugging and witty experiences.

Barbara confessed to me that she always got sick to her stomach every time Georgia took the field. She is as much a part of the Dooley family success as her husband and son. Some have even coined a nickname for her husband, Mr. Barbara Dooley.

Michael Aun is the author of “It’s the Customer, Stupid!”