Just as I was getting over the Colts’ loss to the Chargers, Tony Dungy officially announced that he was retiring from coaching. Even after hearing reports that he was at the front offices saying goodbye to the staff and players, some part of me wished for some last minute change of heart before the press conference. I didn’t want the Dungy era to end. I wanted him to lead the team to a second Superbowl victory. C’mon, just one more season. One more chance.
But there I was standing in front of the television getting a little misty eyed as he explained his decision. It was all there. The love of the game, the team, the city, his family. How he struggled with it, not wanting to leave but knowing he should. And as I listened, I started to accept and even admire how he came to his decision. The fact that he had struggled with the decision meant a lot to me as a fan.
In a profession where career success is typically measured by the amount of rings acquired, the extent of Dungy’s numerous accomplishments are overlooked or not fully appreciated. The fact that he wasn’t able to bring a second Superbowl Championship to Indy was probably the only shortcoming of his career and tenure with the Colts.
First of all, Dungy’s Colts were not underperformers, despite what a few critics might say. (They’ve never forgiven him for that playoff loss to Pittsburgh.) If all the playoff games were like the first three then an argument could be made. However, the last three playoff losses, especially the Colts heartbreaking loss to Pittsburgh were close games that were one or two plays away from becoming wins. Look at some of the man’s achievements:
The most consecutive playoff appearances by an NFL coach.
The most winning coach of the Indy Colts organization.
The first African Amercian coach to lead a team to a Superbowl championship.
The only coach in NFL history to lead a team to six consecutive seasons of twelve wins or more. And that sixth season started off with a 3-4 record.
And there are other little achievements like being the first Colts coach to win at Pittsburgh in 40 years.
He’s also responsible for some of the most amazing come-from-behind wins in NFL history. That’s because Dungy’s Colts were determined. They never gave up. He’s a teacher in a profession known for more for drill instructors. I think of players like Dallas Clark and Jeff Saturday that thrived and became all-star players under Dungy’s calm, quiet leadership. Manning benefited from having Dungy as a coach.
Dungy’s curse is that he was so successful that his high standard of achievement has been taken for granted, and what few statistics are lacking only become more noticeable. The media couldn’t stop talking when the Colts started out the last season 3-4. But winning nine straight and coping with numerous injuries to finish the regular season 12-4? The media doesn’t make anything of it because it’s, y’know, Tony Dungy. They’ve come to expect it.
I admire Dungy’s strength of character. I think of other famous NFL coaches known for their volcanic tempers. How going to the playoffs ten consecutive years and only gaining one ring would have probably eaten at them and slowly turned them into tyrants, or even bigger tyrants than they already were.
He was a role model to be admired for the example he set and not merely judged or envied for the accolades he received.
I’ll miss him.
