_B.jpg) Dungy in 2021 | |||||||||
| No. 21, 27 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Safety | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born | (1955-10-06)October 6, 1955 (age 70) Jackson, Michigan, U.S. | ||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||
| Listed weight | 188 lb (85 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school | Parkside (Jackson, Michigan) | ||||||||
| College | Minnesota | ||||||||
| NFL draft | 1977: undrafted | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
Playing | |||||||||
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||
Coaching | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||
As player:
As coach:
| |||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Head coaching record | |||||||||
| Regular season | 139–69 (.668) | ||||||||
| Postseason | 9–10 (.474) | ||||||||
| Career | 148–79 (.652) | ||||||||
| Coaching profile at Pro Football Reference | |||||||||
Anthony Kevin Dungy (/ˈdʌndʒi/DUN-jee; born October 6, 1955) is an American former professionalfootballsafety and coach who served as a head coach in theNational Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons with theTampa Bay Buccaneers andIndianapolis Colts. His teams became perennial postseason contenders under his leadership, missing the playoffs only twice with Tampa Bay. He led the Colts to victory inSuper Bowl XLI, making him the firstAfrican American head coach to win theSuper Bowl.[1]
Dungy began his head coaching tenure in 1996 with the Buccaneers, a franchise regarded as one of the league's worst. Through implementation of theTampa 2 defensive scheme, he brought new success to the Buccaneers, leading them to four playoff appearances in six seasons. He was fired after the 2001 playoffs due to frequent postseason struggles, but is credited with constructing the team that wonSuper Bowl XXXVII the following year. After his departure from Tampa Bay, he served as the Colts' head coach for seven seasons, qualifying for the playoffs in each. His greatest success occurred with the Colts' Super Bowl-winning season in 2006, the franchise's first in over three decades and the first since relocating to Indianapolis. He retired from coaching following the 2008 season.
Since retiring, Dungy has served as an analyst on NBC'sFootball Night in America. He is also the national spokesman for the fatherhood programAll Pro Dad.[2] He was inducted into thePro Football Hall of Fame in 2016.
Born and raised inJackson, Michigan, Dungy's parents were Wilbur Dungy (1926–2004), a science professor atJackson College and Delta College (MI), and Cleomae Dungy (1920–2002), who taughtShakespeare atJackson High School. Wilbur served as a pilot in theArmy Air Forces duringWorld War II with the famedTuskegee Airmen.[3] After graduating from Parkside High School in 1973, Dungy playedcollege football at theUniversity of Minnesota, and was the Gophers' quarterback and most valuable player in1975 and1976. In 1977, he was awarded theBig Ten Medal of Honor, recognizing one student athlete from the graduating class of each Big Ten member school, for demonstrating joint athletic and academic excellence throughout their college career.[4]
After going undrafted, Dungy signed with thePittsburgh Steelers as afree agent and was converted todefensive back, going on to play three seasons in the NFL. His best season was in 1978, when he intercepted six passes and won a championship ring with the Steelers inSuper Bowl XIII.
Dungy is the most recent NFL player 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 theHouston Oilers when bothTerry Bradshaw andMike Kruczek went down with injuries on October 9.[5][6][7]
After being cut by theNew York Giants in training camp before the 1980 season, Dungy returned to Minnesota as defensive backfield coach. He took the same position with the Steelers in1982, and was promoted in1984 todefensive coordinator. Following a5–11 season in 1988, Steelers ownerDan Rooney forced head coachChuck Noll to make changes to his coaching staff, which included demoting Dungy back to defensive backs coach.[8]From 1989 to 1991, Dungy served as defensive backs coach for theKansas City Chiefs, under head coachMarty Schottenheimer. From 1992 to 1995, he served as the defensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings under head coach Dennis Green.
Dungy became an NFL head coach when he was hired byRich McKay to reform the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a team then well known for its lack of success, on January 22, 1996. Dungy installed his version of theCover 2 defense with defensive coordinatorMonte Kiffin with a few new wrinkles. The result was the now-famousTampa 2, though Dungy openly admitted it was based on concepts he had picked up from his days in Pittsburgh.[9]
Following the 2002 season, the Buccaneers wonSuper Bowl XXXVII, their first appearance in the championship game. Dungy was fired after the prior season and replaced withJon Gruden because he could not get the team there, but is now credited with developing the team’s championship-caliber foundation.[10][11][12]
Dungy's 56 victories were the most in Buccaneers history until 2008 whenJon Gruden surpassed him with his 57th win.
On January 22, 2002, Dungy was hired as head coach of theIndianapolis Colts,[13] a team that at the time was potent offensively but weak defensively. He installed his "Tampa 2" defense immediately and continued to retool the Colts' defense to his liking during his tenure. After joining the Colts, Dungy left the high-powered offense previously installed there byJim Mora, in both playing style and in personnel, virtually unchanged. Dungy was reunited withTom Moore, who was retained as offensive coordinator. Moore and Dungy had previously worked together at Minnesota and Pittsburgh.[14]
During his early tenure in Indianapolis, Dungy struggled to fix the Colts' defense and had mixed results in the postseason. In his first season at Indianapolis, the Colts were shut out 41–0 by theNew York Jets in afirst-round playoff game, and the team lost postseason games to theNew England Patriots in both 2003 (in theAFC championship game) and 2004 (in thesecond round of the playoffs). Dungy signed a three-year contract extension in October 2005[15] for US$5 million per year.[16][17]
TheColts' 2006 playoff run was characterized by a marked improvement in defensive play, as the Colts defeated theKansas City Chiefs, holding one of the NFL's best running backs to less than 50 yards, and beat theBaltimore Ravens in the divisional round. On January 21, 2007, after trailing 21–3, the Colts defeated theNew England Patriots to becomeAFC champions and advanced toSuper Bowl XLI.[18] This was the largest comeback in conference title-game history.[19] Dungy coached the Colts to a 29–17 victory over theChicago Bears in Super Bowl XLI.[20] Dungy became the first African-American head coach to win a Super Bowl. Dungy would coach two more seasons in Indianapolis, retiring after the 2008 season.[21]
Dungy's career has included several notable firsts. Among them, Dungy is the first NFL head coach to defeat all 32 NFL teams.[22] He was also the youngest assistant coach at age 25[22] and the youngest coordinator at age 28 in NFL history.[22]
On offense, Tony Dungy's strategy involved a conservative, ball-control offense based primarily around running the ball and short, high-percentage passes when he was at Tampa Bay. At Indianapolis, he inherited and kept the offense designed by offensive coordinator Tom Moore because the offense was in the hands of someone he knew and trusted.[14]
On defense, Dungy used a stifling "Cover 2"-stylezone defense, which usually was based around a formation of four linemen, three linebackers, and four defensive backs. The "Cover 2" defense Dungy used involved his linemen rushing the passer, the cornerbacks covering the passing flat area, the linebackers covering the middle of the field, and the safeties providing deep coverage on each half of their respective zones. While theCover 2 defense was not a new concept, Dungy contributed to its greater use by systemizing it into an every-down defense. The personnel and techniques that Dungy used in this defense were very specific, and as a result, his style of defense earned the moniker of the "Tampa 2" around the NFL.[23]
Dungy is mentioned in the bookPower of Habit, byCharles Duhigg, in chapter 3: "The Golden Rule of Habit Change."[24][25]
Dungy stresses that coaches are essentially teachers.[26]
His protege, Lovie Smith, observed, "We talked about how to do it, being a teacher instead of screaming and yelling, all that stuff...[27]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."[28]
Dungy said:
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 53rd player on the roster as he would the third player, which has become the spine of Dungy's own coaching philosophy,[30] the Next Man Up theory of calm coaching.[31] Dungy stressed that a team should have a thought process, a philosophy, and the conviction to stick with it, even if personnel change during the games because of injuries.[32] Dungy said:
Dungy put his coaching beliefs on his memoir,Quiet Strength: The Principles, Practices, and Priorities of a Winning Life (ISBN 1-414-31801-4).Cam Cameron, former head coach of theMiami Dolphins, highly recommended the book by buying 1,000 books to give away to football coaches at his preseason coaching clinic in July 2007 inSouth Florida,[33] and said:
Dungy opposes the use ofreplay review in the NFL. In 1997, after a failed vote by NFL owners to reinstate instant replay, Dungy said that he would have favored replay if it were applicable to all calls and if it were not associated with a team's timeouts.[34] TheTampa Bay Times described Dungy as "vehemently opposed" to replay in 2003, after the league had resumed using it.[35]
In 2002, Dungy acknowledged he made a mistake by not challenging one ofPeyton Manning's interceptions, and he also criticized the league's handling of replay challenges. "We have plays where whistles are blown too fast, and I think we're getting to the point where we're letting coaches officiate the game," said Dungy, who said that it had become a trend for officials to expect coaches to challenge controversial calls.[36]
Dungy has continued to criticize the NFL's replay system in his role as a broadcaster on NBC. In 2019, after a failed challenge by Green Bay Packers coachMatt LaFleur, who contended that the Philadelphia Eagles committed pass interference that was not called on the field, Dungy said on television that the replay system was not working as intended. Dungy posted on his Twitter account, "That's terrible. I don't understand this replay review of Pass Interference. That one on Philadelphia couldn't have been more clear cut. If they're not going to reverse that one I don't see how they can reverse any call."[37]
| Team | Year | Regular season | Postseason | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Won | Lost | Ties | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result | ||
| TB | 1996 | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 4th in NFC Central | – | – | – | – |
| TB | 1997 | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 2nd in NFC Central | 1 | 1 | .500 | Lost toGreen Bay Packers inNFC Divisional Game |
| TB | 1998 | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 3rd in NFC Central | – | – | – | – |
| TB | 1999 | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 1st in NFC Central | 1 | 1 | .500 | Lost toSt. Louis Rams inNFC Championship Game |
| TB | 2000 | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 2nd in NFC Central | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost toPhiladelphia Eagles inNFC Wild Card game |
| TB | 2001 | 9 | 7 | 0 | .562 | 3rd in NFC Central | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost toPhiladelphia Eagles inNFC Wild Card Game |
| TB Total | 54 | 42 | 0 | .556 | 2 | 4 | .333 | |||
| IND | 2002 | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 2nd in AFC South | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost toNew York Jets inAFC Wild Card Game |
| IND | 2003 | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 1st in AFC South | 2 | 1 | .666 | Lost toNew England Patriots inAFC Championship Game |
| IND | 2004 | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 1st in AFC South | 1 | 1 | .500 | Lost toNew England Patriots inAFC Divisional Game |
| IND | 2005 | 14 | 2 | 0 | .875 | 1st in AFC South | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost toPittsburgh Steelers inAFC Divisional Game |
| IND | 2006 | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 1st in AFC South | 4 | 0 | 1.000 | Super Bowl XLI champions |
| IND | 2007 | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 1st in AFC South | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost toSan Diego Chargers inAFC Divisional Game |
| IND | 2008 | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 2nd in AFC South | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost toSan Diego Chargers inAFC Wild Card Game |
| IND Total | 85 | 27 | 0 | .759 | 7 | 6 | .538 | |||
| Total[38] | 139 | 69 | 0 | .668 | 9 | 10 | .474 | |||
NBC Sports hired Dungy in 2009 as abroadcast analyst for programming related toSunday Night Football.[39] Dungy was hired at the same time asRodney Harrison, and the two have appeared with other analysts onFootball Night in America, NBC's pregame show forSNF.[40] In addition to his studio analyst duties, Dungy has joinedMike Tirico in the broadcast booth for live action ofThanksgiving Day games.[41] He called theJaguars–Chargers Wild Card playoff game in January 2023 withAl Michaels; the broadcast attracted criticism from fans who felt that Michaels and Dungy were not energetic enough. Michaels defended the broadcast, calling the criticism that he had read "Internet compost".[42]
NBC Sports placed Dungy in the broadcast booth for the2020 Notre Dame football season, replacingDoug Flutie.[41]
In 2021, on an open media call, Dungy criticized the NFL's partnerships with sevensportsbooks, after a long period where the league opposedsports betting of any sort. "I don’t know why the NFL changed its stance. My objection is just personal. I don’t think we should encourage people who are watching the NFL to gamble. Especially young people," Dungy said.[43]
In August 2007, PresidentGeorge W. Bush appointed Dungy a member of thePresident's Council on Service and Civic Participation.[44] 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."[44]
In March 2009, PresidentBarack Obama invited Dungy to join the Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.[45] He declined the invitation to join the council because of scheduling conflicts, as he could make only two of 2009's four council meetings, but agreed to be an informal adviser on fatherhood issues.[46]
He had also turned down offers fromNational Football League Players' Association to become liaison to the NFL.[47]
Dungy is anevangelical Christian, and at one point in his coaching career considered leaving football for theprison ministry.[7] Throughout his career, he has remained involved with community service organizations.[48]
Dungy is married to Lauren Dungy.[7] They have 11 children: 3 biological children and 8 adopted children.[49][50] Their oldest son died by suicide at age 18, outside of Tampa in 2005.[51]
Dungy's tenure in Tampa Bay as the head coach of the Buccaneers brought greater attention to his personal accomplishments outside of sports. He has been active in many community-service organizations in the cities in which he has coached. While in Tampa Bay, Dungy worked as apublic speaker for theFellowship of Christian Athletes andAthletes in Action.[22]
He began a mentoring program for young people called Mentors for Life, and provided Buccaneers' tickets for the participants. He also supported other charitable programs in the area such as Big Brothers/Big Sisters,Boys and Girls Club, the Prison Crusade Ministry, foster parenting organizations, and Family First. He continues to assistBig Brothers/Big Sisters and theBoys and Girls Club in Indianapolis. He also supports the Black Coaches Association National Convention and Indiana Black Expo.[22]
AfterMichael Sam, an openly gay player, was drafted by theSt. Louis Rams in the2014 NFL draft, Dungy said he would not have drafted Sam, saying, "Not because I don't believe Michael Sam should have a chance to play, but I wouldn't want to deal with all of it." The comment drew criticism from some who viewed it ashomophobic.[52][53][54] Following a backlash, Dungy clarified his remarks, saying that he gave an "honest answer" to a question and that his concern would be with media coverage over Sam if he had been the player's coach.[55][56] Dungy has also expressed opposition tosame-sex marriage.[57] In 2023, Dungy shared, and later deleted and apologized for sharing, thelitter boxes in schools hoax on his Twitter account. The act drew a rebuke from an NBC Sports spokesperson, and drew attention to past anti-LGBTQ statements by Dungy, but the network kept Dungy on his regularly scheduled broadcast assignments.[58][59]
Dungy isopposed to abortion,[60] and he served as a keynote speaker at the 2023March for Life.[61][62][63] Dungy opposedFlorida Amendment 4, calling the amendment's language "deceptive".[64]
On September 6, 2007,The Indianapolis Star reported that theDavie-Brown Index (DBI), an independent celebrity-rating service for advertisers, placed Dungy in the top 15 of the 900 actors, musicians, TV personalities, and sports celebrities it ranks for overall appeal, putting him on a level with actors such asTom Hanks andMorgan Freeman. Among sports figures, he ranks second toHank Aaron.[48]
On February 27, 2008,Indiana Wesleyan University honored Dungy in a ceremony where he was inducted into IWU's Society of World Changers.[65] Dungy also received anhonorary doctorate of humane letters from the university.[66][67]
Since retirement, Dungy has become an informal mentor to the formerly suspended NFL playerMichael Vick, counseling him during his incarceration, serving as his advocate in trying to get a team to have him on the roster (thePhiladelphia Eagles later signed Vick to the team).[68][69]
Dungy'smemoir,Quiet Strength: The Principles, Practices, and Priorities of a Winning Life, was released on July 10, 2007[70] and reached No. 1 on the hardcover nonfiction section of theNew York Times Best Seller list on August 5, 2007[71] and again on September 9, 2007.[72]Tyndale House Publishers said it was the first NFL-related book ever ranked No. 1.[73] When asked why he wroteQuiet 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.[74]
Dungy said he had actually gotten "more satisfaction" from the success ofQuiet Strength than the Super Bowl win. That is 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."[75] On January 10, 2008,Quiet Strength reached 1 million copies in print.[76]Quiet Strength was on theNew York Times Best Seller List for 32 weeks, including 27 in the top 10 for hardcover nonfiction.[77]
Dungy also published a 96-page paperback calledQuiet 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.[78]
When asked if Dungy would consider writing a follow-up toQuiet 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.[79]
Dungy published a 24-page children's picture book calledYou Can Do It with Little Simon Inspirations, a division ofSimon & Schuster on July 8, 2008, reached number one on the children's picture books section of theNew York Times best seller list on July 27, 2008[80] and stayed on the top 10 for 5 weeks.[81] The book tells the story of Dungy's younger brother Linden who struggles, then figures out his life dream and is encouraged by his family to follow that dream as a dentist.[82][83] Dungy said that his other hopes forYou Can Do It were that it would encourage parents to read to their kids and that kids would learn the lesson of pursuing whatever field they were talented in, even if it might not be the popular thing to do.[84]
Dungy has also publishedUncommon: Finding Your Path to Significance, a book revealing lessons on achieving significance that Dungy has learned. The book, released on February 17, 2009, with Tyndale House Publishers, particularly focuses on what it means to be a man of significance in a culture that is offering young men few positive role models. Dungy said,
Our young men today are falling into a trap... Society is telling them material success is what's important, but if we buy into that idea, we can spend a lifetime chasing that success and never really have the positive impact on people that would make our lives truly significant.[85]
Uncommon reached number two on the hardcover advice section of theNew York Times best seller list and stayed on the top 10 for 9 weeks.[86]
On August 3, 2010, Dungy released a new book entitledThe Mentor Leader, which debuted at number two[87] and stayed on the top 10 for 5 weeks on the hardcover advice section of theNew York Times list.[88]
On January 11, 2011, Dungy and wife Lauren released a new book entitledYou Can Be a Friend. Their story teaches children what it means to be a good friend.[89] The book debuted at number seven[90] and stayed on the top 10 for 1 week on the children's picture books section ofThe New York Times best seller list.
On January 22, 2019, Dungy released a new book entitledThe Soul of a Team. The book was co-written with Nathan Whitaker, and their story illustrates what separates the truly great teams from the mediocre ones. "Simply put, a team that has SOUL can and will accomplish far more than one that doesn’t.” Dungy writes.[91]
Dungy was on the cover ofNFL Head Coach 09 as its "cover coach".[92]
NFL
NCAA
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