College Football Hall of Famer and retired Auburn University coach Pat Dye, 80, has passed away after recently battling kidney problems and the coronavirus.
An official cause of death has not been given, but the school has confirmed his passing. Dye was recently hospitalized with what Birmingham, Alabama’s CBS affiliate referred to as ‘longstanding kidney issues.’ He had tested positive for coronavirus, but Birmingham’s CBS affiliate reported he was asymptomatic.
‘Coach Dye’s contributions to Auburn and the Auburn Family are immeasurable,’ read a tweet from the school. ‘Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.’
College Football Hall of Famer and retired Auburn University coach Pat Dye, 80, has been hospitalized in Atlanta after testing positive for COVID-19. Birmingham’s CBS affiliate is reporting that Dye is asymptomatic but was ‘hospitalized with longstanding kidney issues’
‘He was a very tough competitor,’ former Georgia coach and athletic director Vince Dooley told ESPN. ‘He related very well to his players. He was a real fighter in that respect and was right there in the trenches with them. We competed hard against each other, but we always had a good relationship.’
Tigers fans knew Dye was struggling on May 21 following an email announcement from his sister’s church in Dye’s native Georgia.
‘Please join us in praying for and lifting up Jayne Snell’s brother, Pat Dye,’ read the email from the Toccoa United Methodist Church, which was posted by an Auburn Tigers fan account. ‘Jayne says he is very weak, and is experiencing loss of appetite and confusion.’
Thousands of Tigers fans began offering prayers for their former coach on social media after his hospitalization was made public.
‘Coach Pat Dye is in the thoughts and prayers of the entire Auburn community tonight,’ one fan tweeted. ‘We are rooting for you coach.’
Born in Blythe, Georgia in 1939, Dye played high school football at Richmond Academy in Augusta, where he received All-American and All-State honors. The two-way offensive guard and linebacker attended the University of Georgia, where he became a first-team All-SEC lineman and two-time All-American in 1959 and 1960.
After stints in the Canadian Football League and US Army, Dye served as an assistant under legendary University of Alabama head coach Bear Bryant until 1973. He was named a head coach at East Carolina in 1974 and at Wyoming in 1980, but stayed in Laramie for only one season before accepting his position at Auburn in 1981.
‘That’s the thing that endeared him to the Auburn people,’ Dooley said. ‘He was able to be highly competitive against the great Bear Bryant.’
Dye famously coached multi-sport star Bo Jackson (left), who won a Heisman Trophy at Auburn
The Tigers enjoyed some of their best seasons during Dye’s tenure, which lasted until 1992, when he stepped down amid an NCAA investigation into rules violations on the eve of the annual Iron Bowl against rival Alabama. One of Dye’s former players, Eric Ramsey, had alleged that he improperly received cash, steaks, and other benefits from boosters and coaches in violation of NCAA rules.
A ceremony honors former Auburn Tigers head coach Pat Dye for his induction to the College Football Hall of Fame during the game against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Jordan-Hare Stadium on November 19, 2005 in Auburn, Alabama. The field at Jordan-Hare Stadium was also christened Pat Dye Field. Auburn defeated Alabama 28-18
Dye not only coached Heisman Trophy winner and multi-sport star Bo Jackson, but guided the Tigers to a national title in 1983 with an 11-1 campaign.
The Tigers would remain contenders throughout the decade, finishing as high as sixth in the AP poll in 1989.
Dye was criticized after he famously opted to kick a 30-yard field goal to tie the 1988 Sugar Bowl against Syracuse, rather than to attempt a last-second touchdown pass from the 13-yard line. Syracuse finished the season 11-0-1 and could have potentially won a national title had they won the game, rather than finishing with a tie.
‘I think Pat Dye did what was best for Auburn,’ Syracuse nose tackle Ted Gregory told the New York Times. ‘But I know [Syracuse Coach Dick] MacPherson had the same choice against West Virginia and went for two points to win the ball game.’
At the urging of a Syracuse radio station, Orangemen fans sent Dye 2,000 ugly ties afterwards – a joke about the game’s ending. He reportedly auctioned the ties off for charity.
Dye finished his career with a 153-62-5 record and was 7-2-1 in Bowls. In addition to four SEC titles, he was also named SEC Coach of the Year three times.
According to an email announcement from his sister’s church in Dye’s native Georgia, the retired coach was admitted to the hospital with ‘ongoing kidney problems’ after first testing positive for coronavirus. It is not clear when he was diagnosed with the respiratory infection