Hall of Fame ex-Auburn coach Dye dies at 80
College Football Hall of Famer Pat Dye, who took over a downtrodden Auburn football program in 1981 and turned it into a Southeastern Conference power, died Monday. He was 80.
Lee County Coroner Bill Harris said Dye died at a hospice care facility in Auburn from complications of kidney and liver failure. Harris said Dye tested positive for COVID-19 after being admitted to the hospital for renal problems, but was asymptomatic.
When Dye came to Auburn, he inherited a program that was deeply divided after only three winning seasons in the previous six years. In 12 years, he had a 99-39-4 record, Auburn won or shared four conference titles and the Tigers were ranked in The Associated Press’ Top 10 five times.
Dye’s overall coaching record was 153-62-5 in 17 years at Auburn, Wyoming and East Carolina. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2005.
“On behalf of our family, I want to thank all of the people from around the country who have offered their support and admiration for dad these past several days,” said Dye’s son, Pat Dye Jr. “Dad would be honored and humbled to know about this overwhelming outreach. The world has lost a pretty good football coach and a great man. He was beloved, he touched so many lives and he will be missed by many, especially our family.”
Dye’s coaching career ended in November 1992 when he was forced to resign after a pay-for-play scandal rocked the Auburn program, which was placed on two years’ probation.
Dye served as athletic director as well as coach for most of his career with Auburn. He remained associated with the university after his resignation and was a frequent commentator on football talk-radio shows.
Auburn plays on Pat Dye Field at Jordan-Hare Stadium. The school put his name on it in 2005.
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey recalled Dye as “a great man, coach and member of the Auburn family.”
A native of Augusta, Georgia, Dye played football for Wally Butts at Georgia from 1958-60.
After two seasons in the Canadian Football League, he left the playing field and went into coaching — ironically at Alabama, where he was in charge of linebackers and recruiting for Bear Bryant.
Dye landed his first head coaching job in 1974, taking over at East Carolina.
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