Derek Dooley, a former football coach, cast himself as an outsider candidate as the Republican primary field for a marquee midterm contest takes shape.

Former University of Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley has joined the GOP primary to decide who will go on to challenge Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff. Dooley announced his campaign with a video message Tuesday morning.

Per ESPN, former Tennessee head coach and longtime NFL assistant Derek Dooley announced his 2026 Republican bid for the U.S. Senate in Georgia on Monday. Dooley will run against Democratic incumbent Jon Ossoff and is backed by Gov. Brian Kemp.