ATLANTA (AP) — Former University of Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley on Monday announced his 2026 Republican bid for the U.S. Senate in Georgia againstDemocratic incumbent Jon Ossoff. The 57-year-old Dooley is backed by Gov. Brian Kemp and has beenteasing a bidsince June. He joins a GOP field that includes U.S. Reps.Buddy CarterandMike Collins, as well as activist Reagan Box. Kemp turned to Dooley after decidingnot to run for the seathimself. Georgia Republicans are looking to topple Ossoff, considered the Senate's most vulnerable Democratic incumbent seeking reelection next year. "Professional politicians like Jon Ossoff are the problem," Dooley said in atwo-minute launch video"Lawlessness, open season on the border, inflation everywhere, woke stuff, that's what they represent. We need new leadership in Georgia. That's why I'm running for Senate." Kemp andTrumpmet and said they would try toagree on a preferred candidate. Anyone anointed by both would be stamped as the Republican front-runner. Kemp told Collins and others on July 24 that he would support Dooley, leading Georgia Insurance CommissionerJohn King to drop outof the race. But Trump isn't ready to endorse yet and Dooley is moving forward without Trump's blessing, an indication the joint effort may be faltering. Dooley has never held elective office before. He says he'll run as a political outsider, a laneDavid Perduetraveled in Georgia to win election to the Senate in 2014. Dooley said he would bring "good, old fashioned Georgia common sense," and "work with President Trump, fight for you and always put Georgia first." Dooley is the son of legendaryUniversity of Georgia coach Vince Dooleyand was a lawyer before he went into coaching. Derek Dooley was widely seen as a failure during his three years as head coach at Tennessee, compiling a 15-21 record with the Volunteers before he was fired in 2012. Since then, he has been an assistant coach with the Dallas Cowboys, the University of Missouri, the New York Giants and the University of Alabama. As a teenager, Kemp was a frequent guest in the Dooley home, and he roomed with Derek's older brother, Daniel Dooley, at the University of Georgia. Kemp has the most effectiveRepublican political organizationin Georgia, and Dooley has hired Kemp aides to run his race, including political strategist Cody Hall and fundraiser Chelsey Ruppersburg. But a number of Republicans endorsed Collins after he entered the field last week, including formerU.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich. Also backing the congressman are state senators including state Senate Majority Leader Jason Anavitarte. Even one of Kemp's official floor leaders in the state House, Rep. Matthew Gambill, parted ways with the governor to endorse Collins. Opponents have already lampooned Dooley for failing to publicly support Trump before now. Someone launched an anonymous University of Tennessee-themed website called"Dooley's Volunteers"that criticizes Dooley for a lack of conservative credentials, interspersed with quotes from sports reporters panning Dooley's coaching tenure. It's the latest high impact move to back a political novice for Kemp, whotapped Kelly Loeffleras a U.S. senator before she lost to Democrat Raphael Warnock in a 2021 runoff. Her campaign was plagued by conflict between Kemp and Trump, who preferredanother candidate. Losses by Perdue and Loeffler to Ossoff and Warnock, respectively,handed control of the U.S. Senateto Democrats. Then in 2022, Trump anointed Georgia football legendHerschel Walkeras the Republican nominee. Walker's candidacyproved flawedand Kemp only swung in to help in the runoff, whichWarnock won. Their effort to jointly screen 2026 candidates produced some results — U.S. Rep.Marjorie Taylor Greenedeclined a Senate run after pressure from other Republicans. Dooley would be far from the first football coach to run for office. His late father was frequently discussed as a possible candidate and his mother, Barbara Dooley, lost a Republican primary for Congress in 2002. Former Auburn University football coach Tommy Tuberville was elected to the Senate in 2020 from Alabama and is nowrunning for governor. University of Nebraska coaching legend Tom Osborne served three terms in the U.S. House. Dooley walked on at the University of Virginia and earned a scholarship as a wide receiver. He earned a law degree from the University of Georgia and briefly practiced law in Atlanta before working his way up the college coaching ladder, becoming head coach for three years at Louisiana Tech before Tennessee.
