Auburn Legend Pat Dye Dead at 80

Legendary Auburn football coach Pat Dye has passed away today. The news was first reported by 247Sports. Dye, dealing with kidney issues, was hospitalized in late May. The coach tested positive for COVID-19 while in the hospitalized but was reportedly asymptomatic. The coach responsible for the Iron Bowl being moved from Legion Field to Auburn passed away due to complications from his failing kidneys.

Dye coached as an assistant coach to Paul "Bear" Bryant at Alabama from 1965-1973 before leaving to become head coach at East Carolina and then Wyoming prior to taking the job with the Auburn Tigers.

Dye won four SEC Titles and accumulated a career record of 99-34-4 while coaching at Auburn. Coach Dye was 6-6 in Iron Bowls in his career, including a four game win streak from 1986-89. One of his biggest career accomplishments was moving the Iron Bowl from Legion Field to Jordan-Hare Stadium for the first time in history in 1989.

Dye coached Auburn Heisman Trophy winner Bo Jackson from 1982-86. in 1983 he led the Tigers to an 11-1 record, finishing the season ranked third in the country.

Dye served as Auburn's athletic director from 1981-92. He was inducted into the college football Hall of Fame in 2005 and the field at Jordan-Hare Stadium is named in his honor.

The coach was inducted into the East Carolina Hall of Fame due to his 48-18-1 record as head coach in a six-year span. He won the 1976 SOCON championship for the Pirates.

Coach Dye is survived by four children and nine grandchildren.