Pat Dye

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Patrick Fain Dye (born November 6, 1939, in Blythe, Georgia) was an American college football coach most notable for his tenure as the head coach at Auburn University from 1981 until 1992. With a career record of 153-62-5 over nineteen seasons as a head coach, Dye was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2005.

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[edit] Biography

A native of Blythe, Georgia, a small town just outside Augusta, Dye attended the University of Georgia where he earned letters (1958, 1959, 1960) and All-American honors playing for the Bulldogs under head coach Wally Butts. His two brothers, Wayne (1954-56) and Nat (1956-58), preceded him as players at UGA.

Dye's first coaching job came as an assistant at the University of Alabama in 1965 under head coach Paul "Bear" Bryant. After nine years as an assistant at Alabama, Dye moved into his first head coaching job at East Carolina University in 1974. Over six seasons, he achieved a record of 48-18. As of 2006, his winning percentage is still the highest of any coach in ECU history.

After ECU, Dye coached one season (1980) at the University of Wyoming before taking the reigns for the struggling program at Auburn in 1981. At Auburn, Dye enjoyed his greatest success achieving a record of 99-39-4 over twelve seasons. While under the leadership of Dye, Auburn won four Southeastern Conference Championships and Dye became only the fourth coach in SEC history to win three straight (1987-1989). He received SEC Coach of the Year honors in 1983, 1987, and 1988.

Dye was also the athletic director from 1981 to 1992, but he was replaced as AD in 1992 by Mike Lude before Dye ultimately resigned as head football coach. Dye's resignation came in the wake of consecutive disappointing seasons in 1991 and 1992 and under the taint of allegations brought about after former Auburn defensive back Eric Ramsey revealed tape recorded conversations of various coaches discussing illicit payments to players.

On November 19, 2005, the playing field at Jordan-Hare Stadium at Auburn was named for Dye. The dedication ceremony was held immediately before the Alabama game. This was especially appropriate since Dye led the Tigers to a 30-20 victory over the Tide on December 2, 1989 in the first installment of the Iron Bowl to be played at Auburn after 41 consecutive meetings at Legion Field in Birmingham.

Dye's legacy in the Iron Bowl is a rich one. In addition to the first meeting at Auburn, Dye was the opposing coach in 1981 when Bryant, his mentor, won his 315th career game to break the all-time victory record (as it stood at the time) held by Amos Alonzo Stagg. The next season, led by freshman running back Bo Jackson, Auburn rallied for a 23-22 victory, the Tigers' first over the Tide since the famous "Punt Bama Punt" game of 1972. It also turned out to be Bryant's final regular season game, as he announced his retirement three weeks later and died of a heart attack on January 26, 1983.

[edit] Coaching Record

TEAM YEAR (Bowl Game) WINS LOSSES TIES NOTES
East Carolina University 1974 7 4 0
East Carolina University 1975 8 4 0
East Carolina University 1976 9 2 0
East Carolina University 1977 8 3 0
East Carolina University 1978 (Independence Bowl) 9 3 0
East Carolina University 1979 7 3 1
University of Wyoming 1980 6 5 0
Auburn University 1981 5 6 0
Auburn University 1982 (Tangerine Bowl) 9 3 0
Auburn University 1983 (Sugar Bowl) 11 1 0 Southeastern Conference Champion
Auburn University 1984 (Liberty Bowl) 9 4 0
Auburn University 1985 (Cotton Bowl) 8 4 0
Auburn University 1986 (Florida Citrus Bowl) 10 2 0
Auburn University 1987 (Sugar Bowl) 9 1 2 Southeastern Conference Champion
Auburn University 1988 (Sugar Bowl) 10 2 0 Southeastern Conference Co-Champion
Auburn University 1989 (Hall of Fame Bowl) 10 2 0 Southeastern Conference Co-Champion
Auburn University 1990 (Peach Bowl) 8 3 1
Auburn University 1991 5 6 0
Auburn University 1992 5 5 1
CAREER TOTAL 19 years 153 62 5


Preceded by:
Sonny Randle		 East Carolina University Head Football Coach
1974–1979		 Succeeded by:
Ed Emory
Preceded by:
Bill Lewis		 University of Wyoming Head Football Coach
1980–1980		 Succeeded by:
Al Kincaid
Preceded by:
Doug Barfield		 Auburn University Head Football Coach
1981–1992		 Succeeded by:
Terry Bowden

[edit] See also

[edit] References

[edit] External links


East Carolina Pirates Head Football Coaches
Beatty • G.L. Mathis • Farley • J.D. Alexander • O.A. Hankner • Christenbury • Johnson • Dole • Boone • Stasavich • McGee • Randle • Dye • Emory • Baker • Lewis • Logan • Thompson • Holtz
Wyoming Cowboys Head Football Coaches
Hess • Soule • McMurray • Ehlman • Dean • Excelby • Thacker • Corbett • Dietz • McLaren • Rhodes • Witte • Hunt • Blanchard • Oakes • Wyatt • Dickens • Devaney • Eaton • Shurmur • Akers • Lewis • Dye • Kincaid • Erickson • Roach • Tiller • Dimel • Koenning • Glenn
Auburn Tigers Head Football Coaches
Petrie • Balliet • Harvey • Hall • Heisman • Watkins • Kent • Bates • Donahue • Keinholz • Pitts • Morey • Bohler • Floyd • Wynne • Meagher • Voyles • Brown • Jordan • Barfield • Dye • Bowden • Oliver • Tuberville
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