Auburn football legendary coach Pat Dye passes away at 80

Legendary Auburn football coach Pat Dye passed away.

The college football world mourns the loss of one of the greatest coaches in the sport’s history.

Former Auburn Tigers head coach Pat Dye passed away on Monday morning at 80-years-old. Dye was hospitalized weeks ago due to complications with his kidneys. He had also contracted COVID-19 around this time.

Dye played his college football at Georgia as an offensive lineman under the legendary Wally Butts. Once his playing days were over, Dye got into coaching, serving as the linebackers coach under the iconic Paul “Bear” Bryant from 1965 to 1973. From there, he’d become the head coach of the East Carolina Pirates and the Wyoming Cowboys before arriving in Auburn back in 1981.

Dye spent 12 years as the head coach at Auburn University. He went 99-39-4 overall and 48-27-3 in SEC play. Eight of his 12 Auburn teams finished ranked inside of the top 25 at season’s end. His teams won at least 10 games four times, coming in an era of only 11 regular-season games. Auburn went 6-2-1 in nine bowl games under its legendary head football coach.

Auburn Tigers’ iconic football coach Pat Dye passes away at 80-years-old.

What Dye will be remembered for is winning four SEC Championships in a decade of dominance for the Auburn program in the 1980s. Football legends such as Bo Jackson, Tracy Rocker and Kevin Greene all played for arguably the best coach in Auburn football history. Though Auburn never claimed a national championship under his reign, Dye was an institution down on The Plains.

In 2005, the three-time SEC Coach of the Year and 1959 All-American offensive lineman at Georgia was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. In that same year, the playing surface the Tigers play on was named Pat Dye Field in his honor. Dye also served as Auburn’s athletic director during his time as the head football coach.

When we think of the greatest football coaches in SEC history, Dye is one of the first names that is brought up. Despite being overshadowed by the likes of Bryant, Vince Dooley, Steve Spurrier and most recently Nick Saban, there is no denying how impactful Dye was on the Auburn football program.

It’s a tough way to start the week for War Eagle Nation, but Pat Dye’s legacy lives on.

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