Former Auburn head football coach Pat Dye passed away Monday at the age of 80, following kidney failure.
Dye tested positive for the coronavirus late last month after already being hospitalized for kidney problems. (RELATED: SEC Week 12 Preview: The End Of An Era)
.@AuburnFootball legend #PatDye has passed away at the age of 80.@WVTM13 confirms report from @247Sports and others.
Coach Dye was 80 years old- a legend who put the backbone back in the Auburn football team.
RIP to a legend. pic.twitter.com/JCfAhK7DXh— Rick Karle WVTM 13 (@RickKarle) June 1, 2020
RIP Coach Pat Dye. It was honor to know you pic.twitter.com/P5uYscjaJF
— Sean White (@SeanWhiteAU) June 1, 2020
Dye was a star football player for Georgia in the late 1950’s, and began his coaching career at Alabama, as an assistant under Bear Bryant. From there, Dye became the head coach at East Carolina, and then Auburn, where Dye became the greatest football coach in school history. (RELATED: Why The Iron Bowl Is The Best Rivalry In All Of Sports)
Dye led Auburn for 12 years, and won four SEC championships during that time. He was also responsible for moving the Iron Bowl away from its traditional site in Birmingham to a home and home format, a move that greatly benefited Auburn’s football program. Put simply, Dye built Auburn’s football program into what it is today. He’s one of the most important figures in the history of the SEC, and a hero in my home state of Alabama.
RIP and War Eagle, Coach Dye.