Pat Dye, Hall of Fame football coach who made Auburn a perennial power, dies at 80

Pat Dye, a Hall of Fame college football coach who took over a downtrodden Auburn program in 1981 and turned it into a Southeastern Conference power, died June 1 at a hospice facility in Auburn, Ala. He was 80.

Lee County, Ala., coroner Bill Harris said the cause was complications from kidney and liver failure. Harris said Mr. Dye tested positive for the novel coronavirus after being admitted to the hospital for renal problems but was asymptomatic.

When Mr. Dye came to Auburn, he inherited a program that had struggled for several years. During his 12 years at Auburn, he had a 99-39-4 record, and his teams won or shared four conference titles. The Tigers were ranked in the Associated Press Top 10 five times.

During his 17 years as a head coach, including stints at Wyoming and East Carolina, Mr. Dye had a record of 153-62-5. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2005.

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His 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.

Mr. 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.

During his first season, Auburn was 5-6, but he quickly turned things around. In 1982, the Tigers were 9-3, defeated archrival Alabama for the first time in 10 years and made their first bowl trip since 1974.

By the next season, Auburn was back on top in the Southeastern Conference — a league that had been dominated for more than two decades by the Alabama Crimson Tide under coach Paul “Bear” Bryant.

Mr. Dye’s Auburn teams won three SEC titles in a row, from 1987 to 1989. His players included 1985 Heisman Trophy winner Bo Jackson and defensive lineman Tracy Rocker, who took home both the Outland and Lombardi trophies. In 1988, linebacker Aundray Bruce was the No. 1 pick in the National Football League draft.

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In 1989, Mr. Dye realized another dream when Alabama made its first trip ever to Auburn. The Tigers won the historic game, 30-20, ending Alabama’s quest for a perfect record and national championship.

The “Iron Bowl” series had previously been played in Birmingham every year since 1948. It is now played every other year at Auburn’s Jordan-Hare Stadium.

“He’s one of the people that changed the direction of that rivalry,” said David Housel, Auburn’s sports information director under Mr. Dye who eventually became athletic director. “Alabama had won nine years in a row; he broke that streak. And he was instrumental in getting the game to Auburn.”

Auburn teams play on Pat Dye Field at Jordan-Hare Stadium. The school put his name on it in 2005.

The only thing that eluded Mr. Dye was a national championship. In 1983, the Tigers featuring Bo Jackson were No. 3 — and remained there despite winning their bowl game while Nos. 1 and 2 lost. While Auburn went 11-1, Miami leapfrogged to the top of the AP poll with its thrilling 31-30 victory over then-top-ranked Nebraska.

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In 1990, the Tigers were the choice of some prognosticators to win it all, but they fell from the national championship picture with a tie and three losses — including the first setback against Alabama after four straight wins.

Mr. Dye, a tough field master with a folksy drawl, was determined to make it back to the top. But tape recordings secretly made by Auburn player Eric Ramsey with coaches and others were made public, exposing a pay-for-play scandal that drew wide news media attention and landed Auburn on probation. It also cost Mr. Dye his job.

Patrick Fain Dye was born Nov. 6, 1939, in Blythe, Ga. He played football for Wally Butts at the University of Georgia from 1958 to 1960 and then went into coaching after playing two years in the Canadian Football League. His first job, ironically, was under Bryant at Alabama, where Mr. Dye was in charge of linebackers and recruiting.

Mr. Dye landed his first head coaching job in 1974 at East Carolina, posting a 48-18-1 record in six years. During his only season in Wyoming, his Cowboys went 6-5 in 1980.

His marriage to Sue Ward ended in divorce. Survivors include his partner of 18 years, Nancy McDonald; four children from his marriage; and nine grandchildren.

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