The Countdown 2010: 19 Days to Go

Pat Dye, OG #60 (1957-1960)

Patrick Fain Dye is best known as Auburn's head coach from 1981 to 1992. A successful tenure that yielded 99 wins and four SEC championships ended in a dark cloud of pay-for-play allegations supported by the infamous Eric Ramsey tapes played nationally on 60 Minutes, and landing Auburn on probation in 1993 and 1994. Yet Pat Dye is still beloved on the Plains for what he accomplished in the 1980s. A program that hadn't won an SEC championship since 1957 played in the Sugar Bowl three times in its most successful decade.

Born and raised in Blythe, Georgia, outside of Augusta, Dye's mother was a school teacher and a graduate of the University of Georgia. His father was a farmer. As a senior at Richmond Academy, Dye was the captain of the 1956 3A state championship team and named the Atlanta Journal's 3A Lineman of the Year.

Playing for Wally Butts' final teams at UGA, he was named first team All-SEC in 1958 and an All-American in 1959 and 1960. The Atlanta Touchdown Club also named him the SEC's Most Valuable Lineman in 1960. He also secured a fumble in 1959 versus Auburn to help win 14-13 and seal an SEC championship for the Dawgs.

After three seasons in the CFL playing for the Edmonton Eskimos, Dye served two years in the U.S. Army fulfilling an ROTC obligation. He then became an assistant coach to Bear Bryant at Alabama, serving from 1965 to 1973.

Hired as East Carolina's head coach in 1974, Dye compiled a 48-18-1 record in six seasons. He then coached at Wyoming for one season (1980) before being named Auburn's head coach.

Vince Dooley's signature on an AU helmet; and Pat Dye's signature on a UGA helmet

As Auburn was busy courting Vince Dooley before Georgia's 1981 Sugar Bowl matchup with Notre Dame, Dye became greatly interested in the head position at his alma mater. However, Dooley finally turned down the Auburn job and Dye shifted his attention. In fact, he resigned his position at Wyoming before Auburn ever offered him the job. But his gamble paid off on January 2, 1981 when the Tigers announced him as head coach.