Former Coach Dooley Mulls GOP Bid Against Ossoff \ TezzBuzz \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ Former Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley is considering a 2026 Republican U.S. Senate bid in Georgia against Democratic incumbent Jon Ossoff. His potential run comes amid GOP efforts to unite behind a strong candidate after Gov. Brian Kemp opted out. Dooley highlights outsider appeal and family political ties.
Derek Dooley, a former University of Tennessee head football coach and the son of legendary Georgia Bulldogs coach Vince Dooley, is weighing a 2026 Republican campaign for U.S. Senate in Georgia. If he runs, he will likely seek to unseat Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff, considered one of the most vulnerable incumbents up for reelection next year.
Dooley, 56, confirmed on Friday that he is exploring a bid and will make a final decision in the coming weeks. His statement framed himself as a political outsider committed to “common-sense leadership” over partisanship and Washington gridlock. “Georgia deserves stronger common-sense leadership in the U.S. Senate that represents all Georgians and focuses on results — not headlines,” he said. “Our state needs a political outsider… to cut through the noise.”
The announcement, first reported by The Atlanta Journal-Constitutionreflects the Georgia GOP’s continued search for a viable contender after Gov. Brian Kemp confirmed he would not challenge Ossoff. Kemp’s absence leaves a leadership vacuum in the Republican field and has opened the door for several other candidates, including U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter, Insurance Commissioner John King, and conservative activist Reagan Box.
Names still being floated for possible runs include U.S. Reps. Mike Collins and Rich McCormick, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, and State Sen. Greg Dolezal. Each brings varying levels of political capital, but Dooley’s potential candidacy stands out because of his family’s deep roots in Georgia politics and sports—and his longstanding personal ties to Kemp himself.
As a teen, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp was a regular guest in the Dooley household and even roomed with Derek’s older brother Daniel at the University of Georgia. While Dooley’s own coaching career was mixed—his tenure at Tennessee ended in 2012 with three straight losing seasons—his lineage and name recognition are seen as valuable political currency in a football-obsessed state.
Dooley has never sought public office before, but his legal background and coaching leadership experience could appeal to voters hungry for candidates outside the traditional political mold. After practicing law briefly in Atlanta, Dooley climbed the ranks of college and professional football coaching, including stints with the Miami Dolphins, Dallas Cowboys, Missouri Tigers, and most recently, the University of Alabama as an offensive analyst.
Should he run, Dooley would join a long list of coaches and sports figures who have leveraged athletic fame into political success. Former Auburn football coach Tommy Tuberville was elected to the U.S. Senate from Alabama in 2020 and is now running for governor. Tom Osborne, the iconic University of Nebraska football coach, served three terms in the House of Representatives. In Ohio, former Buckeyes coach Jim Tressel currently serves as the state’s lieutenant governor.
Republicans are particularly determined to avoid the missteps that cost them both Senate seats in Georgia in the 2020–21 election cycle. In 2021, then-Sen. Kelly Loeffler lost a runoff to Raphael Warnock, while David Perdue was narrowly defeated by Ossoff, flipping the Senate to Democratic control. Much of the intra-party blame fell on the public friction between Gov. Kemp and President Donald Trump, who backed different candidates and clashed over strategy.
That division persisted into 2022 when Trump endorsed Herschel Walker, another Georgia football legend, in his unsuccessful Senate bid. Although Kemp eventually supported Walker in the runoff, the GOP failed to reclaim the seat, reinforcing the need for party unity ahead of 2026.
Now, both Trump and Kemp are reportedly seeking to align behind a single candidate to avoid another fractured campaign. Dooley’s personal and political proximity to both men makes him an appealing option—someone who could potentially bridge factions and energize the base without inflaming old rivalries.
For now, the Republican primary field is still forming. But attacks on Ossoff were a recurring theme at Friday’s Georgia GOP convention in Dalton, where declared candidates and hopefuls alike rallied against the first-term senator. “President Trump needs backup in the Senate,” said Commissioner King during his speech to attendees, echoing a central theme for GOP messaging nationwide.
Dooley’s name entering the mix adds a new dimension—one that combines sports legacy, political connections, and outsider appeal. With Georgia set to play a pivotal role in the 2026 midterms, and with the GOP aiming to reclaim the Senate majority, his potential candidacy is being closely watched both in-state and in Washington.
Should he decide to run, Dooley will need to quickly build a political operation, navigate a crowded primary, and make the case that his outsider credentials translate to electoral strength. But in a state where college football borders on religion, a Dooley name on the ballot could carry unexpected weight.
More on Sports
