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Six to be inducted into the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Hall of Fame
ATLANTA (Dec. 26, 2019) – The Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl will induct six members into this year’s Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Hall of Fame including former LSU head coach Charles McClendon, Virginia offensive lineman Jim Dombrowski, long-time employee Patti Young, and former chairmen Bob Coggin, Albert Tarica and Leeman Bennett.
“What a class we have this year. All of our inductees have unique stories and have significantly impacted our game over the years,” said Peach Bowl, Inc. CEO and President Gary Stokan. “Every single one of them deserves this honor, and we are beyond thankful for all that they have done for us.”
Charles “Cholly Mac” McClendon made his mark as the winningest coach in LSU history, but he was also the first coach to ever raise the Peach Bowl trophy after his LSU Tigers upset No. 19 Florida State in the inaugural 1968 Peach Bowl. As the longest-tenured coach in program history, McClendon amassed an impressive 137-59-7 record with 13 bowl appearances, earning him an induction into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1986. McClendon’s two children, Dee Alberty and Scott McClendon, will attend on his behalf.
Anchoring the University of Virginia’s offensive line from 1982-85, Dombrowski finished his stellar college career as UVA’s first-ever unanimous All-American and led the Cavalier’s to the program’s first-ever bowl victory over Purdue in the 1984 Peach Bowl. A two-time winner of the Jacobs Blocking Trophy (recognizing the ACC’s best blocker) and three-time First Team All-ACC selection, Dombrowski was equally impressive in the classroom earning First Team Academic All-Conference honors in 1985. He then later spent 11 seasons in the NFL with the New Orleans Saints and was inducted into the Saints Hall of Fame in 2003 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008.
Peach Bowl, Inc. also recognizes those who work hard behind the scenes to impact the organization in a positive way. As the longest-tenured employee in Peach Bowl, Inc. history, Patti Young has served the Bowl for more than five decades. During her 50 seasons with the organization, she has seen the Bowl move from Georgia Tech’s Grant Field to Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, to the Georgia Dome and finally to Mercedes-Benz Stadium. In her executive supporting role, she has helped the game grow into an elite New Year’s Six Bowl game that will host one of this year’s College Football Playoff Semifinals. Her work extends to every level of the organization, and it is in large part because of her that Peach Bowl, Inc. has grown and college football’s most charitable bowl organization.
Albert Tarica began volunteering with the Bowl in its inaugural season and worked alongside Bowl founder George Crumbley in the Bowl’s early days. He has served in numerous roles and has played a key role in growing the game, serving as chairman in 1995 and 1996. After 52 years of dedicating his time and effort to the Bowl’s success, he continues to serve on the Bowl’s Board of Trustees and Executive Committee.
For decades, Bob Coggin kept the planes on time and in the air as an executive with Delta Air Lines. That same leadership and judgment have had direct effects on Peach Bowl, Inc. as well. Bob single-handedly revived the Bowl’s local ticket sales program in the mid-1990s, then as chairman, he created a strategic planning process that led the Bowl to its current success, in addition to helping find and hire current CEO and President Gary Stokan. He continues to serve on the Executive Committee as well as the Board of Trustees, and heads the Investment Committee.
Leeman Bennett brought his expertise and experience as a successful NFL head coach to the Bowl in the 1980s, and has served as chairman of team selection and Board of Advisors since then. In 1998, he then went on to join the Executive Committee and later became the Bowl’s chairman in 2004, a role in which he served two terms. Bennett has now served as chair of the Team Marketing and Selection Committee since 1987. He continues to impact the Bowl through his work on various committees and his executive leadership.
Established in 2002, the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Hall of Fame honors former players, coaches and contributors, as well as staff and volunteers, who have had a significant impact on the Bowl. There are currently 51 members, including players such as Mike Singletary, Reggie White and Jim Kelly, as well as coaches including Bobby Dodd, Vince Dooley and Lou Holtz.
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