Pat Dye Has Died, He Was 80 Years Old

[LSUDad]

Hall of Fame Auburn football coach Pat Dye dead at age 80

ByMARK MURPHY 24 minutes ago 

Share32 Comments

 

Pat Dye is shown on his farm earlier this year in Macon County. (Photo: Jason Caldwell, Inside the Auburn Tigers, 247Sports)

AUBURN, Alabama—Pat Dye, who was head coach of the Auburn football team from the 1981 season through the 1992 season, died on Monday at the age of 80. Dye has been hospitalized in recent weeks for complications regarding his kidney functions. The coach had also tested positive for Covid-19.

Dye, who was moved to Bethany House in Auburn following a stay at East Alabama Medical Center in Opelika, listened to phone calls on Monday morning from family, friends and former players on Monday morning.

Dye led Auburn to Southeastern Conference championships in 1983, 1987, 1988 and 1989. A member of the College Football Hall of Fame for his coaching successes at East Carolina University, the University of Wyoming and Auburn, Dye was an All-American player at the University of Georgia.

"Coach Dye was a great man and he did so much for Auburn and Auburn football," said Benji Roland, one of the All-Americans who played for Dye at Auburn. "He will be missed."

Among Auburn fans he won major respect for rebuilding a floundering football program, upgrading facilities and being the driving force for moving Auburn’s home games vs. Alabama out of Legion Field in Birmingham to Auburn’s Jordan-Hare Stadium beginning in 1989.

In his role as athletic director at Auburn the coach inherited an overall athletic program that was struggling financially and helped make major improvements in that area.

His Auburn record was 99-39-4, which tied him with Mike Donahue for the second most wins by an Auburn football coach behind Shug Jordan’s total of 176 from 1951-1975.

[houtiger]

He seemed like a classy guy.  RIP.

[Hatchertiger]

Can't recall the details but I don't believe his exit from Auburn was very graceful. Then they hired Tater Tot.