The Bobby Dodd Memorial Golf Tournament is named to honor the memory and legacy of one of college football's most decorated, respected and innovative head coaches – Coach Bobby Dodd...one of college football’s legendary figures as both a player and coach. A native of Galax, Virginia, Dodd grew up in Kingsport, Tennessee, where he gained recognition as a star athlete at Dobyns-Bennett High School. Upon graduation, he attended the University of Tennessee, where he played under the legendary Coach Bob Neyland. Dodd led the Volunteers to a record 27 wins, 1 loss and 2 ties as the starting quarterback from the 1928 to 1930 seasons. He was named to the All-Southern team in 1928 and 1930, and after his last season, was named first team All-American.

Dodd began his coaching career with Georgia Tech in the spring of 1931. He served 14 years as Coach William A. Alexander’s top assistant before replacing him in 1945 as Georgia Tech’s third head coach. Over the next 22 years, Dodd led the Yellow Jackets to a stellar 165 wins, 64 losses and 8 ties, including a 31-game winning streak and a national championship title in 1952. His teams won 9 of their 13 post-season bowl game appearances, and 22 of his players were honored as first team All-Americans. Coach Dodd was respected and admired by many of his coaching peers.

Rival Georgia head football coach Vince Dooley once said, “Coach Dodd was a special individual in a tough, very competitive business. He always tried to keep the higher things, the higher aspects of it all, upper most, and in perspective.” Coach Dodd was very influential in inspiring his assistants. Notables, like Ray Graves and Frank Broyles, went on to have successful head coaching careers. Coach Broyles said, “He taught me about integrity…he taught me about graduation for the players…he taught me about treating every player as if he was your own son…I’m very thankful to him. And another thing he taught me was don’t leave a school you like!”
 
Winning on the gridiron was important to Coach Dodd, but more important was the right way to go about it…that Scholarship, Leadership and Integrity held more long term importance to a young person than the outcome of the game. Dodd himself said, “I’m more proud of the fact that I graduated a great percentage of the players that came under me.” In his recruiting efforts, Dodd was known to tell a prospective player’s parents that, “We’re not miracle workers…but if you send us a good boy to Georgia Tech…We’ll send you a good boy home.” Once he retired from coaching, Dodd served as Athletic Director for Georgia Tech until 1976 and worked as a consultant to the Georgia Tech Alumni Association.

Over the years, Coach Bobby Dodd received many honors, including a selection to the National College Football Hall of Fame, the Helms Hall of Fame and the Tennessee Hall of Fame as a player. For his coaching efforts, he was inducted into the Georgia Hall of Fame, received the American Football Writers Association Citation of Honor award, and in December 1993, was inducted posthumously into the National College Football Hall of Fame as a coach. Dodd joined Amos Alonzo Stagg, and later Bowden Wyatt was added, as the only three people ever elected as both a player and coach.

In December 1987, Coach Dodd  became ill with lung cancer, and passed away in 1988 at the age of 79. Earlier that year, Georgia Tech officially renamed its football field Bobby Dodd Stadium/Grant Field, honoring him for more than forty years of leadership and commitment.