Monday’s Central Georgia - and of interest to Central Georgia - news and notes, compiled from staff reports, email reports, the web, and social media.

College football legend Pat Dye was 80

          The man who all but turned Alabama-Auburn into the huge battle known as the Iron Bowl died Monday.

          Pat Dye was 80, and died in hospice care Atlanta where he was being treated for kidney and liver failure. He had recently been diagnosed with the coronavirus, but was asymptomatic, he son said.

          The native of Blythe, Ga., and Richmond Academy grad earned All-America honors twice at Georgia, where he was eventually added to the Circle of Honor.

          His coaching career started at Alabama, and he was head coach at East Carolina and Wyoming before taking over at Auburn.

          Dye was 99-39-4 in 12 seasons at Auburn, with at least a share of four SEC champions, and four 10-win seasons plus six bowl games. The 2005 inductee into the College Football Hall of Fame and three-time SEC coach of the year has the field at Jordan-Hare Stadium named after him.

          Dye stood up to Alabama and Bear Bryant, and got the annual game moved from Birmingham to a home-and-home series.

          Dye was also Auburn’s AD for a decade, but lost that job in 1991 and his coaching position a year later.

          His career record is 153-62-5.

‘Our Bear Bryant’

Dooley remembers Dye

Lifted Auburn to Bama’s level

Dye was SEC tough

‘What Auburn is about’

Around/About Central Georgia

George College names an interim baseball coach

          Kane Keith has been promoted to interim head baseball coach at Georgia College.

          He has been with the Bobcats for three seasons, mostly working with pitchers.

          Keith is an alum, twice earning Peach Belt scholar-athlete honors. He went 5-0 with a 4.50 ERA as a senior. Georgia College  has won two conference regular-season titles and the conference tournament twice in the five years Keith has worn a Georgia College uniform.

Signings

          Warner Robins’ Manny Thompson is the latest from Houston County to sign to play football with Fort Valley State. The versatile offensive lineman and two-time first-team All-Central Georgia pick has been a major participant in the Demons going to three straight GHSA Class 5A state title games.

Sports and George Floyd

Former Tech footballer turned officer walks the walk … literally

Georgia College’s president issues a statement

Trae Young participates in Oklahoma walk

And gives a speech

Benjamin Watson writes about The Talk

Mayweather to pick up Floyd funeral expenses

Column: This is just too familiar

Pop goes Pop on Trump

More than once

Big Ten commish creates anti-hate and anti-racism coalition

Tiger issues a statement

Sports and COVID-19

Billions spent on facilities, now it comes down to virus-proofing

Baseball folks not making progress, and it’s no surprise

Pac-12 players to get tested weekly

Non-team-owner David Price opening the checkbook for minor-leaguers

Mountain West makes some tournament decisions

Around/About Georgia

Monken getting at least a mil a year at UGA

Alex Mack hopes teammates are using time wisely

Braves’ minor-leaguers now unemployed, too

When the job covering sports in Georgia gets funky

Catching up with ex-Falcon assistant Bryan Cox

Around the nation/world

NASCAR back, and fans are ready

Ex-teammate not a Tebow fan