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Dungy Retires As Colts Coach: 'It Was The Right Time'

The Associated Press

Tony Dungy's winning percentage of .652 is the sixth-best in league history for coaches with at least 100 victories.

By IRA KAUFMAN | The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 12, 2009

Updated: 01/12/2009 06:18 pm

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Jim Caldwell

TAMPA - Almost seven years to the day after his dismissal as coach of the Buccaneers, Tony Dungy announced his retirement from the NFL on Monday, ending a historic 13-year run that reverberates far beyond the sidelines.

Next stop, Tampa.

Then, Canton.

Dungy, 53, struggled to hold his emotions in check during a late afternoon news conference at Indianapolis, where he led the 2006 Colts to a championship and became the first black coach to win a Super Bowl.

"Don't shed any tears for me,'' Dungy said, fighting back tears. "I've gotten to live a dream most people don't get to live.''

Dungy's career record of 148-79 (including playoffs) in six years with Tampa Bay and seven seasons at Indianapolis translates into a winning percentage of .652, the sixth-best in league history for coaches with at least 100 victories.

The legends ahead of him – Vince Lombardi, John Madden, George Allen, George Halas and Don Shula – are already enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

"We all understand what a great human being Tony Dungy is, but believe me, he's even a better football coach,'' said Rod Marinelli, the former defensive line coach who arrived in Tampa with Dungy in 1996 and helped him turn around an NFL laughingstock. "He tells you the truth, he stays on the details and he never wavers.''

Despite averaging nine wins in six years with the Buccaneers, Dungy was fired following the 2001 season, two days after Tampa Bay suffered a second consecutive opening-round playoff loss at Philadelphia.

"Malcolm Glazer gave me a tremendous opportunity 13 years ago and I had great times in Tampa,'' Dungy said. "These last seven years were better than I could have ever imagined.''

While Jon Gruden led the 2002 Bucs to a Super Bowl win, Dungy was hired by the Colts and immediately helped them reverse a 6-10 record with the help of franchise quarterback Peyton Manning.

But that was merely an appetizer.

Beginning in 2003, Dungy's Colts began an NFL-record streak of six consecutive seasons with at least 12 wins.

"Whay a joy it was to come to work with Tony Dungy every day,'' said Colts president Bill Polian. "And what an honor it was to reach our ultimate goal with a man who did it the right way.''

This year's club won its final nine regular-season games after a 3-4 start to keep the streak intact, but the Colts were eliminated in the wild-card round as San Diego defeated Indianapolis 23-17 in overtime, a bitter end to Dungy's luminous legacy.

"A coach is a revered position, but when you get to the pro level, coaches are often viewed as liars and cheats,'' said former Buc defensive end Simeon Rice, who posted 11 sacks while playing for Dungy in 2001. "Tony Dungy was a man who was revered by everyone. He came into an industry where there weren't a lot of black faces and he won a Super Bowl, making history along the way.''

Dungy's extensive coaching tree continues to grow.

The league is dotted with head coaches (Chicago's Lovie Smith, Kansas City's Herm Edwards, Pittsburgh's Mike Tomlin) who served on Dungy's staff in Tampa.

Marinelli just finished a 3-year run as head coach of the Lions.

Dungy won't be eligible for the Hall of Fame until the Class of 2014, but his impact on the game is both immediate and profound.

"Tony Dungy is truly a man who could say he left the NFL a better place than what it was when he arrived,'' said Seahawks president Tim Ruskell, who worked with Dungy as a Bucs personnel executive.

The Cover 2 defense he installed in Tampa with defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin is widely emulated throughout the league, but Dungy's influence goes far beyond the film room after his three years as a defensive back with the Steelers and a 28-year coaching career.

"I knew this day would come at some point,'' said Indianapolis owner Jim Irsay. "It's been an incredible journey. Tony Dungy had amazing powers of belief. He has pushed me as a man and made me a better person.''

Dungy said the decision to walk away was difficult, but discussions with his wife, Lauren, led to Monday's announcement.

"My plan was to win another Super Bowl and walk off the field in Tampa, where it all began for me,'' Dungy said. "That didn't happen, but we felt this was the right time.''

Jim Caldwell, who tutored Tampa Bay's quarterbacks under Dungy in 2001 before following him to Indianapolis, will succeed his mentor as head coach of the Colts.

"When Tony became the first black coach to win the Super Bowl, it was long overdue,'' Rice said. "I remember being very happy for him that day. To me, it was like an inauguration.''

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