OXFORD, Miss. (AP ) – Sophie Cunningham scored 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, and No. 11 Missouri hit 12 3-pointers to roll to a 67-48 win over Mississippi on Thursday night, giving the Tigers their best start in program history.

Hannah Schuchts had a career-best four 3-pointers and tied a career-high with 12 points, and Jordan Frericks had 12 points for the Tigers (16-2, 4-1 Southeastern Conference). Lauren Aldridge had eight assists as the Tigers had helpers on 24 of their 25 baskets.

Amber Smith opened the scoring with a 3-pointer, and after Alissa Alston’s basket for Ole Miss, the Tigers reeled off 17 straight points, six by Frericks and the last eight from Cunningham. It was 23-7 by the end of the first quarter, and the Tigers never looked back. Smith had 12 rebounds as the Tigers owned the boards 52-28.

Missouri finished 12 of 27 from distance and shot 42 percent overall.

Promise Taylor, a 6-foot-5 freshman from Issaquah, Washington, had 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting and 13 rebounds for Ole Miss (11-7, 1-4). The Rebels were 3 of 18 behind the arc and shot 30 percent.

— Associated Press —

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Kevin Puryear had 12 points and 10 rebounds, and Missouri rallied in the second half to beat No. 21 Tennessee 59-55 on Wednesday night.

Jontay Porter added 10 points and seven rebounds for Missouri (13-5, 3-2 Southeastern Conference). The Tigers found their rhythm in the second half, using 3s from Kassius Robertson, Jordan Geist and Porter to fuel a 13-2 run starting with 10 minutes remaining.

Grant Williams led Tennessee (12-5, 3-3) with 15 points. Kyle Alexander had 12 points and Admiral Schofield added 11. The rest of the Volunteers only scored 17 points, and the team as a whole shot 38.9 percent, including 23.8 percent from deep.

The Tigers trailed 17-9 at the 11-minute mark in the first half but took advantage of Alexander’s foul trouble. With the big man on the bench with two fouls, Missouri attacked the rim and fed the post with ease.

The Tigers didn’t make a 3-pointer in the first half, marking their first half all season without one.

Tennessee: The Volunteers had won three straight to reach No. 21 in the AP Top 25. Their three leading scorers — Schofield, Williams and Alexander — didn’t receive much help, and they’ll need more of a supporting cast to stay ranked.

Missouri: The Tigers suffered through a pair of tough losses in their two conference losses thus far. Missouri’s ability to close a tight game is a promising sign for the young Tigers.

UP NEXT

Tennessee continues its two-game trip with a matchup against South Carolina on Saturday.

Missouri hits the road to face Texas A&M on Saturday.

— Associated Press —

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Daniel Gafford and Dustin Thomas bent over in frustration as the basketball rolled out of bounds under the Missouri basket.

The Arkansas post players each went up uncontested to rebound a missed free throw and neither ended up with the ball with the Razorbacks trailing 57-53. To punctuate the turnover, Missouri’s Kassius Robertson drained a mid-range jumper to give the Tigers a 59-53 lead and seemingly all the momentum with 4:43 left.

Arkansas, losers of three straight SEC games since jumping into the AP Top 25, appeared headed to its first four-game losing streak in Coach Mike Anderson’s seven seasons.

Gafford had different ideas.

The Arkansas freshman scored seven of Arkansas’ final 12 points including a monster two-handed dunk with 57 seconds left to help the Razorbacks knock off Missouri 65-63 in front of 18,297 in Bud Walton Arena on Saturday.

Both of Gafford’s late-game dunks came off pick-and-roll assists from Daryl Macon, who had eight for the game coming off the bench.

“I’ve been doing pick and roll all my life pretty much,” said Gafford, who led the Razorbacks with 15 points. “That’s basically what my high school team was based off of.

“Daryl’s a good passer. He tells me before every game if I’m open, he’s going to find me.”

Said Macon: “And I tell him if he doesn’t shoot it, we’re going to have a problem.”

A problem was exactly what Arkansas (12-5, 2/3 SEC) was facing after seeing an 18-point first half lead evaporate. Missouri (12-5, 2-2) shot the lights out in the second half after a struggling against a swarming Arkansas defense early.

The Tigers hit 11 3-pointers for the game, with Robertson accounting for six from deep. Robertson, who led Missouri with a game-high 26 points, hit a 3-pointer with 7:24 left to pull the Tigers within 53-52, then continued to find the range with another 3-pointer and a mid-range jumper.

Arkansas did not help its cause with missed opportunities at the free-throw line. The Razorbacks were just 14-of-25 for the game.

“If you’d told me we’d be 14 of 25 free throws and give up 11 threes, I’d ask how did we win this game?” Anderson asked. “But we did it with defense and energy. In the last two minutes our defense rose to the occasion.”

Arkansas also forced two huge Missouri fouls on screens that resulted in turnovers late. On back-to-back possessions, Macon and Anton Beard stepped in to take hard fouls with the Tigers attempting to screen to get their guards open.

“Those were big,” said Missouri coach Cuonzo Martin. “We can’t let that happen in those situations.”

Macon said the Razorbacks did not panic when the lead changed hands.

“I was surprised when we lost the lead, because I wasn’t even paying attention to the score,” he said. “I was like into the game. Then I look up and the lead changed. We just had to get back into it mentally and get a W.”

BIG PICTURE

Missouri: The Tigers fell into a deep hole to start the game, and although they rallied to take the lead in the fourth quarter, in the final five-plus minutes the Tigers were clearly fatigued.

Arkansas: The Razorbacks had struggled defensively before Saturday’s win, giving up more than 75 points in four straight games. Arkansas held Missouri to 42 percent shooting from the floor.

TURNING POINT

Freshman Darious Hall got his first start for Arkansas, and Anderson said his energy in the first half helped the Razorbacks get off to a quick start. The 6-foot-6 forward scored 10 points on 4-of-4 shooting and had 5 rebounds.

HIGHLIGHT REEL

Robertson was huge for Missouri offensively. The 6-3 guard was 9-of-15 from the floor with 8 rebounds and 3 steals.

UP NEXT

Missouri will host Tennessee on Wednesday before playing three of its next four SEC games on the road starting with a game at Texas A&M next Saturday.

Arkansas hits the road Wednesday at Florida. The Razorbacks are 2-4 on the road this season with SEC losses to Auburn and Mississippi State.

— Associated Press —

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Jordan Chavis scored a career-high 18 points on 6-of-8 shooting from 3-point range and No. 12 Missouri defeated Vanderbilt 81-70 on Thursday night.

Amber Smith also scored 18 points for the Tigers (15-2, 3-1 Southeastern Conference), who had no letdown after defeating No. 4 South Carolina on Sunday.

Smith had back-to-back 3-pointers to start a 16-2 run and her 10th point of the run made it 18-7 with 2:49 to play in the first quarter. Chavis had three 3-pointers in a 14-1 run in the second quarter before the Commodores closed with a 15-3 surge to trail 48-37 at the half.

Jordan Frericks had eight points in a 16-0 run midway through the third quarter that helped Missouri get to a 25-point lead entering the fourth quarter. The lead was 28 when Chavis’ last 3 opened the scoring but Vandy followed with an 11-0 run and closed the game with a 10-0 run.

Cierra Walker scored 17 points for the Commodores (4-14, 0-4), who have lost eight of nine. Erin Whalen added 15 points.

Missouri did its damage with just five points from Sophie Cunningham, who averages 18.8 and shoots better than 50 percent from 3-point range, second in the nation. She was 1 of 6 from behind the arc.

— Associated Press —

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Jontay Porter had 15 points and 10 rebounds in his first career start, and Missouri overcame a sluggish start to defeat Georgia 68-56 on Wednesday night.

Georgia cut a second half, 10-point deficit to two on Rayshaun Hammonds’ 3-pointer, but the Tigers went on a 7-0 run thanks to 3-pointers from Kassius Robertson and Kevin Puryear with six minutes left, and Missouri (12-4, 2-1 Southeastern Conference) widened its lead to 15 before sealing the victory.

Robertson added 15 points for the Tigers. Jeremiah Tilmon and Jordan Geist chipped in 10 points apiece and Puryear finished with nine.

William Jackson III and Tyree Crump each had 10 points to lead Georgia (11-4, 2-2).

Missouri shot 2 of 8 and Georgia 3 for 7 in the first five minutes. The Bulldogs hung on to a 7-4 early lead off a 3-pointer from Jackson.

Stagnant play continued for both teams, though Georgia held the lead through halftime. It took the Tigers 11 minutes to make a jump shot, as Robertson drilled a corner 3 that tied the game at 11.

The Bulldogs were only shooting 30 percent midway through the first half. With less than three minutes left before intermission, the teams were a combined for 12-of-49 shooting from the field.

An entirely different Missouri team showed up in the second half.

First, the Tigers started scoring. Two dunks from Tilmon tied the game, and an up-and-under layup from Porter gave Missouri the lead.

Then, the Tigers shut down Georgia with a 13-2 run to open the second half, and Porter held Georgia’s 6-foot-8 forward, Yante Maten, to 1 of 5 field goals midway through the second half. Maten finished with nine points.

BIG PICTURE

Georgia: Georgia showed its shooting could hang on in the SEC in the first half, but as soon as Missouri increased the tempo, the Bulldogs ran dry and ceased to compete.

Missouri: The Tigers showed an epic second-half turnaround, scoring 48 points against the Bulldogs, who lead the SEC in scoring defense and field goal defense. Now all Missouri needs to do is find that scoring in the first half.

UP NEXT

Georgia hosts South Carolina on Saturday.

Missouri travels to face Arkansas on Saturday.

— Associated Press —

COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri junior QB Drew Lock (Lee’s Summit, Mo.) will return to Mizzou for his senior season in 2018, as he announced today. Lock had considered early entry into the 2018 NFL Draft, but after consulting with family and coaches, he has chosen to don the black and gold uniform for his final year.

“I’m very excited to be coming back for my senior year, and I’m really optimistic about what we can do as a team next season,” Lock said. “There were a lot of factors that went into this decision, but the main ones include: a feeling of responsibility and loyalty to my coaches and teammates at Mizzou – we have goals to achieve together; having the chance to play for a new coach in Coach Dooley, and his system that will continue to add to my development; and of course, getting my degree. I feel like all of these factors combine to give me the best chance to succeed at the next level. Thank you to Coach Odom and everyone on the Mizzou staff for being patient and very helpful to my family and me during this process. I’m looking forward to exciting things to come!”

Lock, a sport management major at Mizzou, is scheduled to earn his degree this December. He enjoyed a breakout junior campaign in 2017 as he led the nation with an MU and SEC-record 44 touchdown passes, helping lead Mizzou to seven wins and the program’s first bowl game since 2014. With his return in 2018, the Tiger offense (which has led the SEC in total offense each of the last two seasons) will now return nine starters. In all, Mizzou will return 18 starters next season, including seven on defense, as well as both kicking specialists.

“I’m proud of Drew and his family for how they approached this decision and how they handled themselves during the process,” said Head Coach Barry Odom. “We were very thorough in gathering all the information possible to assist. Drew obviously has a great skill set that will continue to be developed at Mizzou. His leadership skills and being a great teammate are two qualities that I admire. I look forward to building our team this spring and am excited that Drew will be part of that. I know he will have an unbelievable approach in his preparation and practice habits to lead our program. He’s going to graduate from Mizzou and have a great senior season. I’m excited for Drew and our team moving forward,” he said.

— Mizzou Athletics —

COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Head Football Coach Barry Odom has promoted Mizzou alum A.J. Ofodile to the position of assistant coach, as announced today. Ofodile, who has served the past two seasons on Odom’s staff in the crucial role of director of recruiting operations, will shift to an on-field role with his alma mater as the program’s 10th assistant. Details of Ofodile’s contract will be released once fully executed, along with his duties.

“A.J. has been a very vital member of our staff the past two years,” said Odom. “I’ve leaned on his input in a lot of areas, and he’s constantly made our program better. He’s a loyal guy who cares about our kids and making Mizzou the best it can be. I’m excited to have him on board with our coaching staff, and am looking forward to how he can help us improve. His career as a player at the college and NFL levels will be very valuable as well as his previous coaching experience. The past two years overseeing our recruiting department has provided great results for us on the field, and he will certainly continue those efforts in his new role,” he said.

The past two recruiting cycles have produced outstanding results for Mizzou under Ofodile’s direction. The most recent class of 2018, while not yet finished, already ranks 36th nationally according to Rivals.com. Prior to that, the 2017 class ranked 49th nationally according to Rivals.com, but immediately paid big dividends with several instant-impact performers who helped Mizzou to a seven-win season and first bowl game since 2014 this past year. Fifteen members of the 25-man 2017 class saw the field in their first year with the program, including four who started during the course of the season, including DT Rashad Brandon, OL Yasir Durant, DB Adam Sparks and DB Jordan Ulmer.

“I’m very excited for the opportunity to continue to contribute to the success and growth of this program,” said Ofodile. We have outstanding young men who believe in Coach Odom’s vision for their program and it is exciting to have the opportunity to work with our kids more directly going forward. The future of Mizzou Football is very bright and I’m excited to take on a new role and contribute to its success wherever I’m asked.”

Ofodile, 44, joined Odom’s staff at MU in May of 2016, following a successful stint as head football coach at Columbia’s Rock Bridge High School, from 2003-2015. Prior to that, he was an assistant coach and offensive coordinator for Odom at Rock Bridge during Odom’s head coaching stint there from 2001-02. After Odom joined Mizzou’s coaching staff prior to the 2003 season, Ofodile took over as head coach. In 2013, his Bruins were state runners up, reaching the state championship game for the first time since 1993.

A first-team All-Big Eight selection as a tight end in 1993 for Mizzou, Ofodile was a three-year letterwinner (1991-93), and finished his Tiger career with 73 receptions for 851 yards and six touchdowns. After an outstanding 1993 season which included 55 catches for 589 yards and four scores, he was drafted in the fifth round of the 1994 NFL Draft by Buffalo, and went on to spend six years in the league with Buffalo, Pittsburgh and Baltimore through 1999.

— Mizzou Athletics —

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Sophie Cunningham had every reason to believe No. 15 Missouri could knock off fourth-ranked and defending national champion South Carolina.

Her signature moment last season came when she hit a last-second shot in the Tigers’ win over the Gamecocks. She was too much for South Carolina to handle again on Sunday, scoring 27 points to lead Missouri to an 83-74 victory.

“Our mentality going in was that we’re winning this game,” said Cunningham, who had seven assists and six rebounds. “Everyone from top to bottom knew we were going to.”

Cunningham, who suffered a right knee sprain last week and sat out Missouri’s loss to LSU on Thursday, returned with a knee brace but showed no ill effects.

The 6-foot-1 guard made 9 of 10 shots, including a scoop that she launched from below her waist and an over-the-shoulder prayer over 6-foot-5 A’ja Wilson.

“They’re going in, so I’m not going to complain,” Cunningham said.

Amber Smith had 20 points and 12 rebounds and Cierra Porter added 11 points for the Tigers (14-2, 2-1 Southeastern Conference). Tyasha Harris and Bianca Jackson each scored 14 for the Gamecocks (13-2, 2-1).

South Carolina coach Dawn Staley was ejected after drawing her second technical foul with 2:55 left and Missouri leading 69-60.

Staley was particularly upset that Wilson, the SEC’s leading scorer, fouled out after just 19 minutes. Wilson finished with eight points, the first time she has scored fewer than 16 this season.

Staley said a player of Wilson’s caliber ought to get the benefit of the doubt from officials.

“I’ve never seen anybody play half a game like A’ja Wilson played today,” Staley said. “Never seen it.”

Missouri Coach Robin Pingeton credited her defense with Wilson’s short day.

“We’re always frustrated as coaches with different calls in the flow of the game, but I’m going to give our kids a lot of credit. I just am,” Pingeton said. “I thought our kids did a great job following the game plan and really clogging it up and making it tough to move in the paint.”

Missouri’s emphasis on Wilson gave South Carolina some open looks from 3-point range, but the Gamecocks made just 6 of 18 from beyond the arc. The Tigers shot 56.3 percent from the field and 61.5 percent on 3-pointers.

Cunningham sometimes gets under the skin of opposing players with her physical play, and Sunday was no exception.

“Everybody’s going to say she’s a dirty player, but from my standpoint, she’s a gritty, tough-nosed kid,” Smith said. “She works me every day in practice, and if I’m not working hard enough, she’s going to let me know.”

Staley hopes her team will react to the loss the same way it did last season.

“Last year when they beat us, we went on to win a national championship,” she said. “Maybe this is a prelude to that.”

BIG PICTURE

South Carolina: Staley said she texted Sally Bell, the SEC coordinator of women’s basketball officials, before the game to complain that two of the officials — Metta Roberts and Luis Gonzalez — worked last year’s game at Missouri, when she was also upset about the whistles.

“I don’t know if that’s just coincidental,” Staley said. “That’s what she said it was. You’ve got to do better. I’m not saying they’re the reason why (South Carolina lost), but you’ve got to do better when you’re coordinating officials and games.”

Missouri: Last season, Pingeton used the 5-foot-11 Smith as a power forward. This year, Smith is playing guard, but she hasn’t lost her knack for rebounding.

The sophomore is developing into an offensive threat in SEC play, averaging 18.3 points in conference games.

“She’s an all-in kid, whatever it takes for our team,” Pingeton said. “Early in the season, there was an adjustment. She went from playing with her back to basket to a stretch-four to our off guard. That’s a pretty big change, having the ball in your hands coming off ball screens instead of setting the screens. She’s an incredible kid, incredible teammate.”

UP NEXT

South Carolina hosts Auburn on Thursday.

Missouri visits Vanderbilt on Thursday.

— Associated Press —

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — On the game’s decisive play, Florida’s Chris Chiozza was assigned to guard Jordan Barnett, who was standing in front of the Missouri bench. But when a soft pass from the opposite wing was directed toward Kassius Robertson at the top of the key, Chiozza sprang into action.

The senior guard stepped in to steal the pass from Jordan Geist and then coasted to the other end for a layup just before the buzzer to the give the Gators a 77-75 victory Saturday at Mizzou Arena.

“I wasn’t really anywhere near the play,” Chiozza said. “I just jumped it.”

Florida coach Mike White was asked if he had ever coached a game with a finish that wild. White initially didn’t think so, then recalled last season’s NCAA Tournament regional semifinal against Wisconsin, when Chiozza hit a running 3-pointer at the overtime buzzer to lift the Gators to an 84-83 victory.

“Very, very similar, with the same guy,” White said. “He’s really smart. He’s an extremely quick thinker. He’s got extremely quick feet. He’s fast. He understands the game. He’s an older guard. He just happened to sniff it out. It was a gamble that paid off.”

The Gators (11-4, 3-0 Southeastern Conference) trailed by 12 points in the first half before rallying to take a 36-35 halftime lead. The Tigers (11-4, 1-1) rebuilt their lead in the second half, opening a 70-62 advantage with 6:31 remaining when Jeremiah Tilmon beat the shot clock with a turnaround jumper off an inbounds play.

Florida again came back and tied it at 75 with 22.2 seconds left when Jalen Hudson made two of three free throws after he drew a foul from Robertson on a 3-point attempt. Robertson protested the foul call, which was one of a few in the second half that drew a rise out of Missouri coach Cuonzo Martin and the home crowd. After the game, Martin seemed particularly upset about freshman forward Tilmon fouling out in only eight minutes of action.

“I guess I have to keep my mouth closed,” Martin said. “I don’t want to say anything. But very, very tough for me. Very tough for me — you know what I’m saying. It was one of the toughest ones I’ve ever been a part of.

“We’ve got to figure out a way to let Jeremiah Tilmon play basketball. He’s a 19-year-old kid doing the things we ask him to do. It has to carry over. Let’s hope he doesn’t get a reputation, because he’s doing the right things and he plays hard. It is what it is, but leave it on the floor and let them play the game.”

Hudson led Florida with 16 points, Egor Koulechov added 15 and Chiozza and Keith Stone each scored 13.

Barnett led Missouri with 28 points, and Robertson added 12. Jontay Porter, also saddled with foul trouble most of the game, finished with nine points, seven rebounds and six assists.

After Hudson’s tying free throws, Missouri called timeout with 17.4 seconds left. Geist dribbled the clock down before his fateful pass. After Chiozza stole the ball, he took one glance at the clock and saw three seconds remaining.

“I knew I had plenty of time left,” Chiozza said. “I wanted to slow down to make sure I didn’t trip or anything.”

BIG PICTURE

Florida: After a spotty non-conference season, the Gators have started SEC play well, with back-to-back road wins over quality opponents. Florida beat 11th-ranked Texas A&M 83-66 on Tuesday.

“Early in the season, I thought we were a very soft team,” White said. “I wouldn’t call us soft now, but I wouldn’t call us overly tough either. It’s a process for us. After a certain amount of time, our guys embraced the fact we had some deficiencies.”

Missouri: On Friday, Blake Harris announced his plans to transfer. Harris had started nine games and was part of a three-player point guard rotation. His departure marked the second freshman point guard to leave the program this season, after C.J. Roberts did the same. Martin said he was happy with the play of Geist and Terrence Phillips at the point against Florida.

“We average 15, and we had 11 turnovers,” Martin said. “They played well. Terrence has to play a little tougher defensively, but I thought they did a good job.”

OLD AND IMPROVED

Barnett is a senior, but he hadn’t shown much during his previous years at Texas or Missouri to suggest the star he has become this season. White called Barnett, who is averaging 15.9 points, the most improved player in the SEC.

“I don’t remember a guy making this big of a jump in one year,” White said. “This guy was a good player last year, and he is terrific. He can sprint into 3s, he elevates, he has a high release, he has a quick release. He’s a 6-7 catch-and-shoot guy. He’s a really good cutter. He’s an offensive rebounder. We didn’t do a really good job on him, but he’s going to have a few of those games. He’s already had a few.”

UP NEXT

Florida will aim for its fourth straight SEC victory when it plays at home against Mississippi State on Wednesday.

Missouri will host Georgia on Wednesday.

— Associated Press —

COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Head Football Coach Barry Odom has added veteran coach Derek Dooley to his staff, as announced today. Dooley, who has been part of record-setting offenses all throughout his 20-year coaching career – including six years of collegiate head coaching experience, will take over as Mizzou’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Details of Dooley’s contract will be released once fully executed, along with the completion of human resources procedures.

“I’m excited for our football program, Derek brings tremendous energy, knowledge and experience to our staff,” said Odom. “He will do a great job of mentoring our student-athletes in all areas of their lives, and I know he will add great benefit and loyalty to our staff room with his experiences he’s gained over his career. His football knowledge and offensive beliefs are in line with what will make Mizzou very successful. We have a great foundation to build on and along with the rest of the offensive staff we will put our kids in position to be their very best. I’m very happy to welcome the Dooley family to our organization!”

For the past five seasons, Dooley has been with the National Football League’s Dallas Cowboys as wide receivers coach, where he coached wideout Dez Bryant to three Pro Bowl selections. In Dooley’s Dallas tenure, the Cowboys reached the NFL Playoffs twice.

Prior to joining the Cowboys, Dooley served as head coach for the Tennessee Volunteers for three seasons (2010-12), earning a bowl berth in his first year at the helm. In 2012, Dooley’s offense broke multiple records, including the second-most yards in a season (5,711), a school-record combined 1,303 yards in consecutive games (2012) and the fourth-most points in UT history (2012). Dooley was named Tennessee’s 22nd football coach in 2010, and his first two recruiting classes included the SEC’s leading receiver in 2011 and a first-team All-SEC selection, six Freshman All-Americans, and nine players who were named Freshman All-SEC.

Before his arrival in Knoxville, Dooley served as the head coach at Louisiana Tech from 2007-09 and also doubled as the school’s athletic director for the last two years of his tenure in Ruston. As the head coach of the football team, Dooley led the Bulldogs to an 8-5 mark in 2008, including the school’s first postseason victory in 30 years at the Independence Bowl. Tech finished second in the Western Athletic Conference that season and played in a bowl game for only the third time since joining the major college ranks in 1989. For his efforts, the Louisiana Sports Writers’ Association named him 2008 Coach of the Year.

“I am excited to be a Mizzou Tiger and look forward to helping Coach Odom carry out his vision for the program. I am grateful for this opportunity, and am ready to get to Columbia and go to work,” said Dooley.

Dooley first joined the professional ranks as the tight ends coach for the NFL’s Miami Dolphins from 2005-06 under Head Coach Nick Saban. During his two years in Miami, Dooley oversaw the continued development of tight end Randy McMichael, who ended his Dolphins career as the team’s all-time leader in receptions by a tight end.

Dooley served on Saban’s LSU staff as the recruiting coordinator and tight ends coach from 2000-02 and then running backs coach and special teams coordinator from 2003-04. He helped the Tigers land No. 1 classes in 2001 and 2003. The Tigers won SEC championships both of those seasons, claimed the 2003 BCS National Championship, and Saban promoted Dooley to assistant head coach for the 2004 campaign.

He began his coaching career in 1996 as a graduate assistant at Georgia under defensive coordinator Joe Kines. He then served from 1997-99 as wide receivers coach and co-recruiting coordinator at SMU, where Dooley helped the Mustangs to the school’s only winning season over a 20-year stretch.

The youngest son of Georgia legend Vince Dooley, who coached the Bulldogs for 25 seasons and claimed six SEC titles and the 1980 national championship, Dooley never accepted the predetermined path to success. He played his college football at Virginia, turning down scholarship offers elsewhere to walk on and later earn his own scholarship from Cavaliers Hall of Fame Head Coach George Welsh.

He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in government and foreign affairs, and then went on to earn his law degree from the University of Georgia in 1994. Before embarking on his coaching career, Dooley practiced law at a private firm in Atlanta for two years.

In Dallas, Dooley’s receivers played a big role in rookie quarterback Dak Prescott’s transition to the NFL in 2016. With the new signal caller adjusting to the Cowboys offense, he was able to spread the ball around among his new receivers. Leading the way was a breakout campaign from Cole Beasley, who led the team in receptions (75) and receiving yards (833) – both career-highs – and was second with a career-high tying five touchdowns. Bryant rebounded in 2016 to lead the team with eight touchdowns – which also included surpassing Michael Irvin (65) for the second-most career receiving touchdowns in franchise history – and was second with 796 receiving yards and third with 50 receptions to earn his third trip to the Pro Bowl. Overall, the unit tallied 20-of-25 receiving touch- downs on the year.

The 2015 season got off to a difficult start, with All-Pro receiver Bryant fracturing his foot in the second game – missing seven games – and Dallas starting four different quarterbacks after Tony Romo twice fractured his clavicle. Bryant finished with 31 catches and three touchdowns – including the 50th touchdown connection between he and Romo, breaking the all-time franchise record of 49 set by Troy Aikman and Irvin. Dooley coaxed big seasons from Terrance Williams and Beasley. Williams continued to be a big play threat, averaging 16.2 yards-per-catch on 52 catches with a team-leading 840 yards. Beasley set then career-bests with 52 catches for 536 yards and a team-leading five touchdown receptions. Under Dooley’s watch, the receiving group accounted for 12 of Dallas’ 16 touchdowns through the air.

In 2014 – Dooley’s second season in Dallas – Bryant established a club single-season record with a league-best 16 touchdown catches while tallying his third consecutive 1,000-yard season with 1,320 yards (second in his career and tied for seventh in team history) on a team-best 88 catches en route to his second straight Pro Bowl nod. Bryant also became the third Cowboy (Bob Hayes, 4, and Terrell Owens, 3,) with at least three straight 10-touchdown seasons. Dooley continued the mentorship of second-year receiver Williams, helping the wideout finish second on the team in touchdown catches (eight), third in yards (621) and tied for fourth in receptions (37). In the postseason, Williams’ three touchdown catches averaged 40.7 yards. Beasley also emerged as a clutch receiver, especially on third down, as 26 (fourth on the team) of his 37 catches went for first downs, including 11 (third) on third or fourth down.

Dooley’s first season with the Cowboys coincided with the mercurial rise of Dallas’ top receiver, Bryant. Under Dooley’s guidance, Bryant built a successful campaign in his third season, leading the team with a career-high in receptions (93) along with 13 touchdowns (13) and 1,233 receiving yards – his second consecutive 1,000-yard season – en route to being named to his first career Pro Bowl. Bryant’s 13 touchdowns marked his second straight 10-touchdown season, be- coming only one-of-four players in team history to do so.

Dooley was also responsible for teaching the pro game to rookie Williams who finished third on the team with 736 yards and five touchdowns and fourth with 44 receptions. Williams’ totals tied for fourth in a season in club rookie annals in receptions and touchdowns and ranked fourth in receiving yards. As a whole, the receiving group was responsible for 22 of the team’s 33 receiving touchdowns.

— Mizzou Athletics —