Former Georgia football coach Vince Dooley isn’t shedding any tears about the loss of running back Isaiah Crowell.

Speaking to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Dooley said that Crowell’s departure was a positive for the program even if it meant losing its top rusher and a potential star player.

“I don’t want to put any pressure on them, but losing that guy may have been the best thing to happen to them,” Dooley told the newspaper. “It was a bad-apple type thing, if you ask me.”

Crowell was dismissed by Georgia following his arrest on felony gun charges. As a true freshman, he ran for 850 yards and five touchdowns last year, but his short career included two disciplinary cases, including a one-game suspension.

He has resurfaced at Alabama State and will be eligible to play immediately at the lower-division school.

Dooley said the fallout from his departure could actually see Georgia play better than in 2011 when it won the SEC East.

“That kind of thing will unite a team many times,” Dooley said. “Historically when things like this have happened in the past, they tend to have a unifying effect on teams. They go on to have an even better season than they were predicted to have.”