This post was originally published on this site.
Former college football coach Derek Dooley is trading the sidelines for politics, launching a campaign for the U.S. Senate in Georgia.
Dooley, the son of legendary University of Georgia football coach Vince Dooley, announced his candidacy in August and quickly picked up an early endorsement from Governor Brian Kemp. The Republican is positioning himself as a political outsider and challenger to incumbent Democratic Senator John Ossoff.
“I love this country. I have a lot of pride in being from Georgia. And I just believe leadership matters,” Dooley told FOX 5’s Deidra Dukes in a one-on-one interview Wednesday. “I think we need new leadership in the U.S. Senate that reflects a lot of what the Georgia people want.”
Dooley has never held public office and is campaigning as an outsider. He said his decades of experience coaching at the college and NFL levels have given him a unique perspective working with youth and families from diverse backgrounds.
“I’m just not your typical politician,” Dooley said. “I didn’t grow up in this world. But I do care about serving the people, and I’m going to go up there and put the people first.”
Dooley joins a growing field of Republican candidates seeking to unseat Sen. John Ossoff in next year’s election.
