Anthony Kevin "Tony" Dungy (born October 6, 1955) is a former professional American football player and the current head coach of the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. Prior to that, between 1996 and 2001, he was the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He became the first African American head coach to win the Super Bowl when his Colts defeated the Chicago Bears on February 4, 2007.

Early life

Born in Jackson, Michigan, Dungy is one of the four children of Wilbur and CleoMae Dungy, both of whom were educators. Wilbur was a physiology professor, while Cleomae was a high school English teacher. They encouraged a focus on academics early on in their children's lives. Tony Dungy attended Parkside High School, where he played guard position on the basketball team and the quarterback position on the football team. which profiled his accomplishments as a high school athlete when he was 14 years old.

College career

Dungy was recruited by University of Minnesota coach Cal Stoll and played for the Golden Gophers from 1973 to 1976. He entered the starting lineup as a quarterback during his freshman year and after playing for four years finished as Minnesota's career leader in pass attempts (576), completions (274), touchdown passes (25), and passing yards (3,577). He also finished fourth in career total offense in the Big Ten Conference. He received Minnesota's Most Valuable Player award twice.

NFL career

Dungy was signed as a free agent by the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League as a defensive back, a fate many African-American quarterbacks in college football shared up until the middle - late 1980s when turning professional. He played as a reserve-special teams player for the Steelers in 1977 and the Super Bowl champion 1978 seasons, leading the team in interceptions in the latter campaign. In 1979 Dungy was traded to the San Francisco 49ers, then finished his career a year later in the training camp of the New York Giants in 1980.

Dungy is the only NFL player since the AFL-NFL merger to intercept a pass and throw an interception in the same game. Dungy was the emergency quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers in a 1977 game against the Houston Oilers when both Terry Bradshaw and Mike Kruczek went down with injuries. He played safety on defense.

Coaching career

Assistant coaching positions

Following his retirement, Dungy was invited to become an assistant coach for his alma mater, the University of Minnesota in 1980. After one season in charge of defensive backs, he was asked to come back to the NFL as a coach. He was hired as an assistant coach with the Steelers by Chuck Noll, his former coach, in 1981.

In 1982, he was named defensive backfield coach, and was promoted in 1984 to defensive coordinator. He left the Steelers in 1989 to become the defensive backs coach for the Kansas City Chiefs, and took over the defensive coordinator position for the Minnesota Vikings under Dennis Green in 1992. While at Minnesota, Dungy's defense was ranked first in the NFL.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Dungy achieved his dream of being an NFL head coach when he was hired by Rich McKay to reform the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a team well-known for its lack of success, on January 22, 1996. Dungy installed his version of the Cover 2 defense with Defensive Coordinator Monte Kiffin with a few new wrinkles now known as the famous Tampa 2. Despite losing the first few games in 1996, the Bucs finished strong and showed signs of developing into a winning team. After a home win vs the Raiders, The Bucs fell to a quick 14-0 hole to the Chargers in San Diego, where the Bucs had not won on the west coast in over 15 years. Instead of folding, Tampa Bay fought to a hard win. Many feel that was the game in which the team turned the corner.

In 1997, the Buccaneers finished second in the NFC Central division, Tampa Bay's first winning season since 1982 after starting the season 5-0 matching the only time the Bucs were ever undefeated with as many wins in the 1979 season. In the last game played at Tampa Stadium, the Bucs defeated the Detroit Lions in their first playoff game, losing the next game to the defending champion Green Bay Packers.

Under Dungy's watch, the Buccaneers made four playoff appearances and won their division in 1999 only to lose to the St Louis Rams in the NFC Championship Game. However, Tampa Bay under Dungy struggled to reach the playoffs in his last four seasons. Also, in his last three playoff games, Tampa Bay was offensively shut out. Constant changes to the offensive coordinator position despite a successful 2000 offensive ranking was often to blame, as QB Shaun King had to work with 3 different coordinators in 3 years. Dungy was fired by the team on January 14, 2002 due to the club's repeated losses in the playoffs including two lopsided defeats (in 2000 and 2001) to the Philadelphia Eagles; and because it was determined by the team's higher management that the conservative offense that Dungy ran was too inconsistent against NFL teams. The following year, the Buccaneers easily defeated the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2002 NFC Championship game under coach Jon Gruden en route to the club's first Super Bowl appearance and victory.

Indianapolis Colts

On January 22 2002, Dungy was hired as head coach of the Indianapolis Colts, a team that at the time was very potent offensively, but very weak defensively. He installed his "Tampa 2" defense immediately and ever since has set about retooling the Colts' defense to his liking. Since joining the Colts, Dungy has left the high-powered offense previously installed there by Jim Mora, in both playing style and in personnel, virtually unchanged. Dungy was reunited with Tom Moore, who was retained as offensive coordinator. Moore and Dungy had previously worked together at Minnesota and Pittsburgh.

During his early tenure in Indianapolis, Dungy struggled to fix the Colts' defense and had mixed results in the post season. In his first season at Indianapolis the Colts were shut out 41-0 by the New York Jets in a first-round playoff game, and the team lost postseason games to the New England Patriots in both 2003 (in the AFC championship game) and 2004 (in the second round of the playoffs). Dungy signed a three-year contract extension in October 2005 for US$ 5 million per year.

The Colts focused on defensive improvements during the 2005 off season, signing five-year defensive tackle Corey Simon. Widely expected to be a Super Bowl contender, the Colts won their first 13 games, prompting much speculation about the possibility of the Colts becoming the NFL's first team to finish the season undefeated since the 1972 Miami Dolphins.

However, this dream was shattered when the Colts lost their 14th game to the San Diego Chargers. The Colts did manage to obtain home field advantage throughout the playoffs, but were defeated in the divisional playoff round against the Pittsburgh Steelers. This loss made the Colts the first team to ever start a season 13-0 and not reach the Super Bowl.

The Colts 2006 playoff run was characterized by a marked improvement in defensive play, as the Colts defeated the Kansas City Chiefs, holding one of the NFL's best running backs to less than 50 yards, and upset the favored Baltimore Ravens in the divisional round. On January 21, 2007, after trailing 21-3, the Colts defeated the New England Patriots to become AFC Champions and advanced to Super Bowl XLI. This was the largest comeback in the conference-title game history.

On February 4 2007, Dungy and the Indianapolis Colts won Super Bowl XLI 29-17 over Lovie Smith and the Chicago Bears at Dolphin Stadium in Miami.

On January 21, 2008, Dungy announced that he would return at least for the 2008 season. When he steps down, Jim Caldwell will take his place.

Coaching firsts

Dungy's career has included several notable firsts. Among them, Dungy is the first NFL head coach to defeat all 32 NFL teams.

Coaching tree

see also coaching tree Like Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Bill Walsh, Mike Holmgren and Marty Schottenheimer, Dungy is also credited with supporting and fostering the development of defensive-minded coaches, during his tenure with the Bucs. His contributions have had a great effect on the diversity of the league and helped lead to the institution of the Rooney Rule by Steelers owner Dan Rooney, requiring teams to interview minority coaches.

As of January 23 2007, four members from Dungy's coaching staff are head coaches of other NFL teams:

• Herman Edwards for the Kansas City Chiefs (Assistant head coach under Dungy at Tampa Bay)
• Lovie Smith for the Chicago Bears (Linebackers coach under Dungy at Tampa Bay)
• Rod Marinelli for the Detroit Lions (Defensive line coach under Dungy at Tampa Bay)
• Mike Tomlin for the Pittsburgh Steelers (Defensive backs coach under Dungy at Tampa Bay)

Moreover, Mike Shula, the offensive coordinator under Dungy at Tampa, was the head coach of Alabama between 2003 and 2006. Joe Barry, a linebackers coach under Dungy at Tampa Bay, is the defensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions. Leslie Frazier, a defensive backs coach under Dungy at Indianapolis, is the defensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings. Also, Jim Caldwell, who currently is the Assistant Head Coach under Dungy in Indianapolis will succeed Dungy at the time of his retirement. Many speculate that to occur after the 2008 NFL season.

Although Dungy is listed as not only a part of the Bill Walsh coaching tree, but also a part of the Marty Schottenheimer coaching tree, the Dungy tree grew from the roots of the Pittsburgh Steelers' dynasty of the 1970s. He was influenced by the defensive schemes learned under Chuck Noll and Bud Carson. Dungy said that he inherited most of the coaching philosophies from Noll and he is proud be a protégé of Noll.

Coaching philosophy

Dungy formed his philosophy by taking something from virtually every coach he came in contact with -- Noll (as player and then coach in Pittsburgh), Walsh (as player in San Francisco), Schottenheimer (as coach in Kansas City) and Green (as coach in Minnesota) -- and blending it with his own beliefs and Christian values. who put faith and family ahead of football and do not belittle their players or scream at them. Also, like Dungy, they remain calm when things go badly. They guide instead of goad, and Lovie Smith found that perhaps the most instructive thing of all.

Smith said,

"We talked about how to do it, being a teacher instead of screaming and yelling, all that stuff."

Smith also said,

"I think as you look to young coaches coming up in the ranks, a lot of us have a picture of how a coach is supposed to be, how he is supposed to act...And I think what Tony Dungy showed me is you don't have to act that way."

Dungy said,

''"I really wanted to show people you can win all kinds of ways. I always coached the way I've wanted to be coached. I know Lovie has done the same thing. For guys to have success where it maybe goes against the grain, against the culture ... I know I probably didn't get a couple of jobs in my career because people could not see my personality or the way I was going to do it ... For your faith to be more important than your job, for your family to be more important than that job ... We all know that's the way it should be, but we're afraid to say that sometimes. Lovie's not afraid to say it and I'm not afraid to say it."''

Dungy also learned from Noll that it takes all 53 of the players on the team to win so that a coach should train the 33rd player on the roster as he would the third player, which has become the spine of Dungy's own coaching philosophy, which is the Next Man Up theory of calm coaching. Dungy stressed that a team should have a thought process, a philosophy and the conviction to stick with it, even if the personnel changes during the games because of injuries. Dungy said,

''"Chuck's philosophy was to convince every guy on the team that his role was important. If you came in as a free agent and were just a gunner on the punt team or the third safety, you were doing something the team needed to win...It was his way of emphasizing that no one is irreplaceable. You have to coach everybody the same way. If Joe Greene goes out, Steve Furness goes in and we're not going to change anything. Chuck never panicked when someone got hurt or held out. We can still function. That made a big impression on me." and said,

"It dispelled so many myths about the coaching business -- that you had to be a yeller and a screamer to win. You can be your own person, treat people with respect, be very demanding but demanding in a way that doesn't trample on people. And you don't have to give up your faith to win in the NFL. It confirmed and re-affirmed an awful lot of the beliefs I held about coaching..."'' The 25-member council represents leaders from government, business, entertainment, athletics and non-profit organizations committed to growing the spirit of service and civic participation. The two-year appointment requires attendance at two in-person meetings per year and quarterly phone conversations with assigned committees. After receiving the call from President Bush, Dungy remarked "It was something that was really hard to believe. Certainly, when you go into football coaching, you’re not expecting to get presidential appointments to anything."

Personal

Dungy's tenure in Tampa Bay as the head coach of the Buccaneers brought greater attention to his personal accomplishments outside of sports. Tony Dungy has earned widespread respect both on and off the field due to what many see as strong convictions and high personal standards of ethics and behavior, which affect his behavior as both a coach and as a member of his community. He has been active in many community service organizations in the cities in which he has coached. While in Tampa Bay, Dungy worked as a public speaker for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Athletes in Action. On March 20, 2007, Dungy aligned himself with a socially conservative organization, the Indiana Family Institute, and openly supported an amendment to the Indiana constitution which would have defined marriage as solely between one man and one woman.

Dungy is married to Lauren Harris of Pittsburgh Dungy also received an honorary doctorate of humane letters..

Books

Dungy's memoir, Quiet Strength: The Principles, Practices, and Priorities of a Winning Life, was released on July 10, 2007 and reached No. 1 on the New York Times Best Seller list on August 5, 2007 and again on September 9, 2007. Tyndale House Publishers said it was the first NFL-related book ever ranked No. 1. When asked why he wrote Quiet Strength, Dungy said,

''"It's not something I ever really thought of doing. I've had several people ask me about it for a number of years. Several people asked about it after winning (the Super Bowl). I was hoping, really, not to do it...I think it becomes kind of what happens. You win a Super Bowl, you have a big achievement, and you write a book. And I didn't want to be one of those guys, but a lot of people thought that it was the right time -- and it did turn out to be that. I think people were looking for something positive to read, and we had a lot of negative in the sports world. I think it just came out at the right time. Maybe the Lord's timing was good."

Dungy said he’d actually gotten "more satisfaction" from the success of Quiet Strength than the Super Bowl win. That’s because, he said, "I’ve gotten so many calls and letters from people saying they really got something out of it, something that helped them." On January 10, 2008, Quiet Strength reached 1,000,000 copies in print. Quiet Strength was on the New York Times Best Seller List for 32 weeks, including 27 in the top 10 for hardcover nonfiction.

Dungy also published a 96-page paperback called Quiet Strength: Men's Bible Study'' on July 18, 2007. Dungy challenged men to answer six questions: What's my game plan? What's my strength? What's success? Where's my security? What's my significance? And, what's my legacy? The book is aimed specifically at men, including those who may not otherwise be interested in spiritual matters.

When asked if Dungy would consider writing a follow-up to Quiet Strength, Dungy said,

''"Three months ago, I would've said 'no' for sure. But the impact of this one has been beyond what I could've dreamed and there may be another one in the future. The focus would probably be on how to develop leadership and a coaching strategy for whatever business you're in; coaching for your family, business, or sport based on Christian principles."

Dungy signed with Simon & Schuster to publish a children's picture book called You Can Do It''. It will be scheduled to be published in July 2008. The book tells the story of Dungy and his siblings, including younger brother Linden who figures out his life dream and is encouraged by his family to follow that dream.

Endorsements

Dungy will grace the cover of NFL Head Coach 09 as its "cover coach". The previous head coach on the cover was Bill Cowher.

Bibliography

• Quiet Strength: the Principles, Practices, & Priorities of a Winning Life
• Quiet Strength : Men's Bible Study

References

External links

• Tony Dungy's Interview on FOX News Radio