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'It's Good To Be Back,' Dungy Tells Plant Celebrants

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By KATHERINE SMITH | The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 16, 2009

TAMPA - Master of ceremonies Jack Harris was in the middle of Plant High School's championship celebration today when he spotted a familiar face in the crowd.

"I see Coach Tony Dungy," Harris said. "It's great to have you back where you belong."

Just like the rest of the Plant parents, Dungy and his wife Lauren gathered on the steps of the City Hall Plaza in downtown Tampa to celebrate their children's athletic accomplishments. The former Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Indianapolis Colts head coach cheered as Mayor Pam Iorio recognized the school for its recent state championships.

Along with the school's volleyball and swim teams, members of the Class 4A state championship football team were honored. That team includes Dungy's son Eric.

Dungy was a common fixture at Plant games this past season. Now that he has retired, he plans on being around a lot more.

"It's good to be back," Dungy said. "We are very happy to be back."

Dungy entrenched himself in the Tampa Bay community when he was the Bucs head coach from 1996 to2002. Even after he was fired by the Bucs and hired as Indianapolis' coach in 2002, Dungy kept his home in Tampa and remained involved in various area charities.

Last year, during Eric's junior year, Dungy flew back to Tampa to attend all but one Plant football game. He was at the Dec. 20 game in Orlando when Plant defeated Tallahassee Lincoln to win its second state title in three years.

"I've won some things and won a couple Super Bowls, but I never won a state championship," Dungy said. "So I told Eric that he'll never forget that."

During his time in the Plant stands, Dungy said he watched a team evolve into champions.

"It was great to see this team persevere," he said. "After losing the first game, they never lost heart. They just kept working. To go in and play Armwood again without Aaron [Murray], it just showed what they had built through the whole year. It was a team. I could see watching every week how they were getting better and getting more confidence, and it was fun to see."

And now, without Indianapolis tugging on him, Dungy can really watch next year's Plant team develop.

"It's cool," Eric said of his dad's full-time return to Tampa. "This is something that he wanted to do, and if that's what he wants to do, we will support him. It's cool he'll be there all the time for my senior year."

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