By Josh Kendall of the Macon Telegraph
Vince Dooley's final day at the University of Georgia passed Wednesday without incident, without fanfare and without even Dooley.
He spent the day, his last as full-time employee after 40 years as football coach and athletic director, in Calgary, Canada, to be with longtime employee Claude Felton as Felton received the highest award in his field.
"I can't think of a better way to spend my last day as athletic director than with Claude," Dooley said.
Felton was Dooley's first hire at Georgia, signing on in 1979 as the sports information director and rising to the position of senior associate athletic director for external affairs. It seemed appropriate that Dooley, a man known for his loyalty to his employees, spent his
final day in charge with one of them rather than reminiscing in his now-empty office.
"It seems fitting that he'd do what he normally does," said Felton, who received the Arch Award as the nation's top sports information director. "I'm sure he would, as in most cases, rather not have the focus be on him. People have asked me, 'Has he been different?' And he really hasn't. You'd never know (Wednesday) was going to be his last day."
Back in Athens, the day was just like any other slow summer day except for the occasional media member passing through. Dooley's longtime assistant, Becky Stevens, and secretary Brianne Milan-Willams were in his outer office putting the finishing touches on moving.
The last of Dooley's items were removed from his fourth floor office at the Butts-Mehre Building in the morning, leaving a blank slate overlooking the football team's practice facility and track.
Damon Evans, who officially takes control of the department today, will become just the second man to ever occupy that office this afternoon when the first of his things are carried down the hall.
"I'll probably come over here by mistake," Dooley said Monday, his final day in the office.
He walked out of the building for the final time as athletic director at 4:03 p.m. Monday without any noticeable nostalgia, stopping long enough to talk to a woman who works on his garden and to ask a couple visiting the building how their day was going.
"It absolutely has not set in," he said standing in the parking lot. "I don't know what I'm supposed to feel. After 40 years, I guess I should feel something. I guess I'm going to have to start feeling something if y'all keep asking me."
Dooley will continue to be employed by the university as a fundraiser/consultant for one year. He will draw his regular salary of $223,510 for the year but will move his office down the street to the school's student-athlete learning center.
The man who won 201 football games, a national championship and six Southeastern Conference titles in 25 years as head coach, isn't expected to spend his first day in his new office until late next week. Evans said his staff may start moving some boxes into Dooley's old office today.
"I don't have that much stuff," Evans said Wednesday.
The 34-year-old Evans, the first black AD in the SEC said he already was sensing the added responsibility.
"The big difference tomorrow will be knowing the buck stops with you instead of with Coach Dooley," said Evans, a former wide receiver at Georgia.
The difference will be felt throughout the department.
"It's definitely going to be different because when you think of Georgia you think of Coach Dooley," said assistant football coach Mike Bobo. "He's synonymous not only with Georgia football but Georgia athletics."
Added Felton: "It probably won't hit me. until I get back and he's not in that office."