Inside Vince and Barbara Dooley's Athens home

Home and Garden

Vince and Barbara Dooley's Athens home is filled with decades of University of Georgia football memorabilia. See photos of the inside of their home of 40 years.

UGA coaching legend Vince Dooley and his wife, Barbara, have lived in their Athens home for nearly four decades. This "Bulldog Room" is one of 10 additions they've made to the house, and it's a marriage of Barbara's love of American, Japanese and Chinese antiques with her husband's legendary career. University of Georgia football memorabilia and hundreds of bulldogs can be found throughout the space.

Contemporary art and souvenirs bearing Vince Dooley's likeness are everywhere, including this background collage.

Barbara Dooley says she doesn't know how many bulldogs are in the house -- and frankly, she doesn't want to know. Nestled among the many dogs is a Chinese porcelain urn. Similar items are found throughout the home.

This was one of Coach Dooley's original ring cases.

Derek and Daniel Dooley collected pictures of their parents and had it made into this poster-sized work of art.

Vince Dooley keeps several catchalls for mementos, such as this one for war medallions and antique money.

Reflecting Barbara's spirited nature, this pillow adds humor to a dog-laden room.

A view from the foyer reveals a sparkling chandelier and antique table in the Dooleys' dining room. Vince Dooley, a Civil War enthusiast, said scholars have confirmed that the Confederate Constitution was drafted on their dining room table.

Meet Carmen Mirandawg, named for the iconic Brazilian samba singer Carmen Miranda. This pup was modeled after one of the 36 painted bulldog statues the city of Athens sprinkled throughout town. Barbara says Vince originally said he didn't want the outlandish female bulldog in their home, but he later commissioned the artist to create this similar statue as a Christmas present for his wife.

The Dooley family spends most of their time in this den, another of the many additions to the home. "Everything in my house I really chose with love and care," Barbara said, ever-ready to crack a joke. "But I know when they put me in the grave, my kids will call Goodwill."

This painting "The Happening" by Lamar Dodd, depicts the scene after UGA won the 1980 National Championship. "There was a sea of red as they stormed the field," Vince Dooley explained.

Dooley has three passions, according to Barbara: football, gardening and the Civil War. Here, Dooley stands with a letter from Gen. Robert E. Lee.

Coach Dooley shows off a guest bathroom which Barbara had painted to represent her favorite things: her 11 grandchildren, Canyon Ranch in Arizona, the Holy Spirit, their lake house and more. When asked why a mural of her husband wasn't on the wall, Barbara joked: "His picture is everywhere in that house. I don't need to go to the bathroom with him, too!"

Barbara Dooley says this sun room is her favorite room in the house. She purposefully decorated it sparingly and uses this room for reading and meditation. "It's very plain because I wanted the outside to come in," she said. "It's serene." Text by Katie Leslie / kleslie@ajc.com

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UGA coaching legend Vince Dooley and his wife, Barbara, have lived in their Athens home for nearly four decades. This "Bulldog Room" is one of 10 additions they've made to the house, and it's a marriage of Barbara's love of American, Japanese and Chinese antiques with her husband's legendary career. University of Georgia football memorabilia and hundreds of bulldogs can be found throughout the space.

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