Football coach Derek Dooley is threatening to shake up the Republican race for U.S. Senate in Georgia, but aside from his athletic resume and the fact that he is the son of legendary University of Georgia coach Vince Dooley, he is not well-known in political circles.

Dooley, 56, doesn’t have a background in state or national politics, but like his father, who weighed runs for governor and U.S. Senate in the 1980s and 1990s, he’s now considering entering politics. Dooley is deciding whether to enter the race against U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff in 2026.

Here’s what to know about Dooley.

Dooley, an Athens native, was a walk-on wide receiver for the University of Virginia, where he completed his bachelor’s degree in government and foreign affairs in 1990.

He earned a law degree in 1994 from

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