Tony Dungy to Step Down as Head Coach of Indianapolis Colts
Tony Dungy to step down at a 5 pm EST press conference. Sad news for football fans, but good news for Mr. Dungy and his family. He is the current standard of Black coaches. Eddie Robinson’s NFL dream. Could play on John Chaney’s team. The epitome of class and it was remarkable how he held on through the death of his son James in 2006. Tony’s record with the Colts was 92-33. His last game was Jan. 3…a 23-17 overtime loss at San Diego. He’s the only coach since the 1970 merger to take a team to the playoffs 10 straight seasons. Overall record is136-75-0. Could have been a head coach in the NFL at age 28 he was so good. Won Super Bowl as a player and a head coach. Jim Caldwell has long ago been named his successor. A true man of faith. Good luck Mr. Dungy.
Here in Tampa Coach Dungy is a saint and is involved in many community actitives and very personable and he really bought that to Tampa and emphaized that part of winning football also involved a commitment to that community and because of that we have had a attachment to many of our players in ways that in other cities that would not be the case. When his son, died I was heading to work and passed by the funeral home during the wake and there was a line of hundreds of people of all walks of life paying their respects to the Dungy family.
I still thought he could have stayed and kept winning (the colts had o-line problems and injuries) and still won 12 games, but I felt he was distracted with his family and wanted to be involved and his kids lives and his imprint on both franchises who had a total losing attitude became championship and model teams.
He was a great coach needless to say we can go on and on about him all day. He is a strong man to have dealt with this son’s death and still lead his team with such enthusiasm. I must say, couldn’t have picked a better picture to post; it’s picture perfect !
Very special coach…very special person. His trees bear much fruit.
I agree T3. Its going to be interesting to see how his coaching fruits turn out. Will they be like Bellich’s or like Bill Walsh’s?
One of Mizzo’s Facebook friends came to the conclusion that Dungy is special enough to be a part of the Obama adminstration in some capacity. I would wholeheartedly agree.
Dredded One:
I wasn’t even thinking about Lovie Smith and Mike Tomlin or others to be named later. I was really thinking about his decisions to draft character players in Tampa and Indianapolis and to create an extended family that serves as a refuge for players across the league.
For me, it all starts with Derrick Brooks and Warrick Dunn. Those are my favorite non-Steelers of all time. It doesn’t hurt one bit that they both went to FSU. Dungy really just brought integrity, character and authenticity to the game. Its such a hallmark of his teams. They played with heart and dignity and were straight up competitors.
The coaching tree is pure bonus.
The NFL is worse off without him, but I wish that more disliked players, cough cough Clemens Favre cough cough would take leave of their careers at more opportune times. That said, as I think Jemele said via Facebook comment about this as a posted item, it’s purely a selfish wish that he was still in the NFL because he is a credit to the league. League is worse off without him.
Sorry, it was Rashad who said that he wished Dungy were still around, but purely for selfish reasons. I couldn’t agree more.
Class act all the way around. I watched his press conference and it was very moving. The guy was a great coach and I hope he stays in football in some capacity…..possibly the NFL Network. He will be missed, and as it has been aforementioned, the league will be worse off without him.
I could not pass-by without saying something about this really great personality.
I agree with all the superlatives and can find no more to add to the loads I have read all over by now.
I will be a bit crass but it is important point out that there is nothing Tony Dungy could have done to improve on all that has gone before save by adding a better, more sure quarterback, sure in the play-offs than Peyton Manning.
that could never happen, by desire or by trade or for any reason at all, as those two and Indy were hooked at the hip and would be so for the remainder.
there was therefore the complete achievement of the potential of this coach/quarterback tandem and it was time for the coach to go.
I was concerned about that but I need not have worried for Dungy would see it, did see it and retired at the absolute right moment.
thanks for a great ride Tony Dungy! I times your cool pissed me off, especially after late season losses to New England, the football team I love to hate.
but the sum total of the positives of the 16 years I knew you as head coach cannot be quantified.
peace be upon you!
So long Tony. You had a great run and are one of the kindest and best coaches of all time.
Coach Dungy represents a very mixed bag for me. I applaud him for being the trailblazer that he has been and making the NFL more black coach friendly. He was a class act in many ways and there is hardly a bad word anyone can say about him.
BUT I cannot get over his support of the bigotry we in America, and judging by the black vote in California vis-a-vis Prop 8, black folks in particular seem to feel is justified regarding gay rights.
Sad to see Coach Dungy go, but he had sent some overt and covert signs over the past two years that he was considering retirement.
And I wonder if Harrison’s legal troubles may have been a slight factor in his decision to leave right now. The media (ESPN) is beginning to go after Marvin a little bit more aggressively now with the Colts’ season ended, and some of those media questions would have been directed toward Coach Dungy and of course the Golden Boy, Peyton Manning eventually in regards to how Marvin’s troubles are affecting the team.
Dungy’s winning the Super Bowl was really the ultimate professional goal. And it had been increasingly more difficult for the Colts to maintain their regular season dominance as Peyton, Marvin and the team overall ages. Houston is closing the gap year by year, Jacksonville had an off-year highlighted by turmoil (shooting of Starting O-Lineman, Richard Collier, Matt Jones’ cocaine problem, etc.). And Tennessee is also an annual threat. The Colts had their time in the sun and I wouldn’t be surprised to see a significant decline or at least seeing the Colts fight for another wild card with maybe 8 or 9 wins in 2009.
..And there should be no doubt when people talk about the best NFL coaches of all time, Tony Dungy should always be included in the conversation.
Hall of Fame Coach, Tony Dungy.
Good luck to Coach Dungy in the next phase of his life but I echo KevDog when I say his legacy as a coach is rock-solid but I temper it knowing that he’s a mouthpiece for the bigotry he had to fight most of his career. I could care less if anyone wants to get married but I do care when people actively try to prohibit others from getting married. I won’t go into a long diatribe because I’ve come to praise Coach Dungy not bury him.