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Carter and Collins’ digs come as Dooley’s campaign launch has been largely overshadowed by coverage of his abysmal coaching record
The AJC’s Politically Georgia reported this morning that the already messy GOP Senate primary in Georgia is becoming even more “combustible” after audio footage revealed that “MAGA warrior” Rep. Buddy Carter took a swipe at failed and fired former Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley for his losing coaching record, where Carter is heard saying that Dooley “wasn’t a star. He wasn’t a successful coach either.”
Earlier this week, MAGA extremist Rep. Mike Collins launched an attack video online slamming Dooley for his losing coaching record and for “spen[ding] his life on the sidelines.”
Read for yourself:
AJC Politically Georgia
Greg Bluestein, Tia Mitchell, Patricia Murphy and Adam Beam | August 8th, 2025
KEY POINTS:
“He wasn’t a star. He wasn’t a successful coach either.”
That was U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter’s blunt response to a question at a Henry County GOP meeting this week about why “another football star” — a reference to Derek Dooley — was now running for U.S. Senate in Georgia.
In audio obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, he went on to argue that Dooley isn’t prepared to take on U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, the Democratic incumbent.
“This is serious stuff now — I don’t want to hear about, you know, we’re just going to put this to a popularity contest. That’s not what this is,” Carter said. “You got to have somebody who can go toe to toe with this kid, and I’m that person who can go toe to toe with him.”
Carter isn’t the only GOP Senate candidate unloading on Dooley. U.S. Rep. Mike Collins has also taken swipes at the former coach, accusing him of “sitting on the sidelines” during all three of President Donald Trump’s White House runs and ridiculing his losing record at the University of Tennessee.