Tony Dungy
Encyclopedia
Anthony Kevin "Tony" Dungy [DUN-jee] (born October 6, 1955) is a former professional American football
player and coach in the National Football League. Dungy was head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
from 1996 to 2001, and head coach of the Indianapolis Colts
from 2002 to 2008. He became the first black American head coach to win the Super Bowl
when his Colts defeated the Chicago Bears
on February 4, 2007. On December 18, 2008 after securing his tenth straight playoff appearance with a win against the Jacksonville Jaguars
, Dungy set a new NFL record for consecutive playoff appearances by a head coach. On January 12, 2009, Dungy announced his retirement as coach of the Indianapolis Colts, which went into effect after the 2008
–2009
season. Since retirement, Dungy has served as an analyst on NBC's Football Night in America
. Tony Dungy is also the national spokesman for the fatherhood program All Pro Dad
.
of the National Football League
as a defensive back
, where he played as a reserve and special teams player for the Steelers in 1977 and the Super Bowl
champion 1978 season, 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 on October 9, 1977. He played safety on defense.
in 1980. After one season in charge of defensive back
s, 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
. His work under Noll put Dungy in the Sid Gillman
coaching tree
.
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.
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
.
, the Buccaneers finished strong and showed signs of developing into a winning team. After a home win versus the Raiders
, the Buccaneers fell to a quick 14–0 hole to the Chargers
in San Diego
, where the Buccaneers had not won on the west coast in over 15 years. Instead of folding, the team fought to a hard win. Many Bucs fans believe that this was where the long-beleaguered franchise finally turned the corner. It turned out to be the only losing season Dungy would suffer as a head coach.
, 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
for only their second playoff win in franchise history. They lost the next game to the defending champion Green Bay Packers
.
in the NFC Championship Game. Under Dungy, Tampa Bay struggled unsuccessfully to reach the playoffs in 1998. They went on to reach the playoffs again in 1999, 2000 and 2001. 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 were often to blame, as QB Shaun King
had to work with 3 different coordinators in 3 years. Dungy was fired 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
. Additionally, owner Malcolm Glazer
felt Dungy's conservative offense was too inconsistent against NFL teams. Dungy thus became the first coach in Bucs history to leave the team with a winning record.
The following year, the Buccaneers defeated the favored Philadelphia Eagles
in the 2002 NFC Championship game under coach Jon Gruden
, using Dungy's defense and the roster he built, en route to the club's first Super Bowl
appearance and victory.
, a team that at the time was very potent offensively, but very 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 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 postseason. 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 offseason, 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
.
Their thirteenth win guaranteed the Colts home field advantage throughout the playoffs. With nothing to play for except the chance to go unbeaten, the Colts lost their 14th game to the San Diego Chargers
. The Colts only played their starters sparingly in the last two games. The Colts lost in their first playoff game to the eventual Super Bowl winner 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 conference title game history. By a matter of only a few hours, Dungy became the second African-American coach to lead his team to the Super Bowl. His good friend, Chicago Bears
head coach Lovie Smith
, had clinched the NFC's bid in the Super Bowl earlier in the day.
On February 4, 2007, Dungy and the Colts won Super Bowl XLI 29–17 over the Bears at Dolphin Stadium
in Miami.
On December 23, 2007, with a win over the Houston Texans
, Dungy won his 72nd game as Colts head coach, passing Don Shula to become the winningest coach in franchise history.
On January 21, 2008, Dungy announced that he would return at least for the 2008 season
.
head coach) was chosen as the new head coach for the Indianapolis Colts after being named Dungy's future successor a year earlier. On November 1, 2010, the Colts added Tony Dungy's name to the Colts Ring of Honor located on the middle balcony on the east side of Lucas Oil Stadium.
hired Dungy to serve as a studio color analyst on the network's weekly Sunday Night Football
pregame show, Football Night in America
.
Dungy was the first African-American head coach to win the Super Bowl (with the Colts' victory over the Bears in 2007). He was the third black head coach to win a pro football championship in North America, behind Darren Arbet
of the San Jose Sabercats
(Arena Football League) who won ArenaBowl XVI
in 2002 and Pinball Clemons
of the Toronto Argonauts
(Canadian Football League
) who won the 92nd Grey Cup
in 2004.
Dungy also became the sixth man to play in a Super Bowl and be the head coach of a Super Bowl team. He joins Dan Reeves
, Sam Wyche
, Mike Ditka
, Forrest Gregg
and Tom Flores
. After the win in Super Bowl XLI
, Dungy became the third man to win Super Bowls both as a player and a head coach, following Ditka and Flores.
because the offense was in the hands of someone he knew and trusted. In both cases, most of the offensive planning has been handled by his offensive coordinators.
On defense, Dungy uses a stifling "Cover 2" style zone defense
, which is usually based on a formation with 4 linemen, 3 linebackers, and 4 defensive backs. The "Cover 2" defense Dungy uses involves having 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 the Cover 2 defense is not a new concept, Dungy "systemized" it into an every down defense. The personnel and techniques that Dungy uses in this defense are very specific, and as a result, his style of defense has earned the moniker of the "Tampa 2
" around the NFL
.
by Steelers owner Dan Rooney
, requiring teams to interview minority coaches.
As of January 3, 2011, four members from Dungy's coaching staff are head coaches of NFL teams:
Moreover, Rod Marinelli
, the defensive line coach under Dungy at Tampa Bay, was the head coach of the Detroit Lions
between 2006 and 2008, Mike Shula
, the offensive coordinator under Dungy at Tampa, was the head coach of Alabama
between 2003 and 2006, and Herman Edwards
, the former head coach for the New York Jets
and Kansas City Chiefs
was an assistant head coach under Dungy at Tampa Bay.
Joe Barry
, a linebackers coach under Dungy at Tampa Bay, was the defensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions
between 2006 and 2008.
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 to be a protégé of Noll.
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:
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 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:
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 the Miami Dolphins
, highly recommended the book by buying 1,000 books to give away to football coaches at his preseason coaching clinic in July 2007 in South Florida, and said:
George W. Bush
appointed Dungy a member of the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation
. 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."
In March 2009 President Barack Obama
invited Dungy to join the Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. 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.
and Athletes in Action
.
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. His community involvement and care continues in Indianapolis where Tony helped launch the Basket of Hope program which aids patients at the Riley Hospital for Children. He continues to assist Big Brothers/Big Sisters
and the Boys and Girls Club in Indianapolis
. He also supports the Black Coaches Association National Convention and Indiana Black Expo.
Dungy is an evangelical Christian and at one point in his coaching career considered leaving football for the prison ministry. Throughout his career, he has remained involved with community service organizations. 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 also appeared in a testimonial video on I Am Second
, in which he shares his story of his personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Dungy is married to Lauren Harris of Pittsburgh and has two daughters, Tiara and Jade, and five sons, James (died December 22, 2005), Eric, Jordan, Justin and Jason. James committed suicide at age 18, outside of Tampa. The Dungys still keep their home in the Tampa Bay area. Dungy's son, Eric, plays football at the University of Oregon.
On September 6, 2007, The Indianapolis Star
reported that the Davie-Brown Index (DBI)
, an independent celebrity rating service for advertisers, places 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 as Tom Hanks
and Morgan Freeman
. Among sports figures, he ranks second only to Hank Aaron.
On February 27, 2008, Indiana Wesleyan University
honored Dungy in a ceremony where he was inducted into IWU's Society of World Changers. Dungy also received an honorary doctorate of humane letters from the university.
On August 5, 2009, Dungy spoke at the 53rd General Council of the Assemblies of God
.
Since retirement, Dungy has become an informal mentor to the formerly suspended NFL player Michael Vick
, counseling him during his incarceration and, with the help of Donovan McNabb
, convincing Eagles
owner Jeff Lurie and head coach Andy Reid
to consider signing him to the team's roster.
, Quiet Strength: The Principles, Practices, and Priorities of a Winning Life, was released on July 10, 2007 and reached No. 1 on the hardcover nonfiction section of 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,
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,
Dungy published a 24-page children's picture book called You Can Do It with Little Simon Inspirations, a division of Simon & Schuster
on July 8, 2008, reached No. 1 on the children's picture books section of the New York Times Best Seller list on July 27, 2008 and stayed on the top 10 for 5 weeks. 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. Dungy said that his other hopes for You 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 gifted in, even if it might be not the popular thing to do.
Dungy has also published Uncommon: 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,
Uncommon reached No. 2 on the hardcover advice section of the New York Times Best Seller list and stayed on the top 10 for 9 weeks.
On August 3, 2010 Dungy released a new book entitled The Mentor Leader, which debuted at No. 2 and stayed on the top 10 for 5 weeks on the hardcover advice section of the New York Times Best Seller list.
On January 11, 2011 Dungy and wife Lauren released a new book entitled You Can Be a Friend. Their story teaches children what it means to be a good friend. The book debuted at No. 7 and stayed on the top 10 for 1 week on the children's picture books section of the New York Times Best Seller list.
as its "cover coach". The previous head coach on the cover was Bill Cowher
. Coincidentally, both coaches would retire the season after their cover issues were published.
. He also coached the Midland Lee Rebels to a 5A State Title.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player and coach in the National Football League. Dungy was head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
from 1996 to 2001, and head coach of the Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
from 2002 to 2008. He became the first black American head coach to win the Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
when his Colts defeated the Chicago Bears
2006 Chicago Bears season
The 2006 Chicago Bears season was their 87th regular season and 25th post-season completed in the National Football League. The club posted a 13-3 regular season record, the best in the NFC, improving on their previous year’s record of 11-5...
on February 4, 2007. On December 18, 2008 after securing his tenth straight playoff appearance with a win against the Jacksonville Jaguars
2008 Jacksonville Jaguars season
The 2008 Jacksonville Jaguars season was the 14th season for the team in the National Football League. The Jaguars failed to improve upon their 11–5 record from 2007 and did not make the playoffs, contrary to many preseason predictions.-2008 NFL Draft picks:...
, Dungy set a new NFL record for consecutive playoff appearances by a head coach. On January 12, 2009, Dungy announced his retirement as coach of the Indianapolis Colts, which went into effect after the 2008
2008 NFL season
The 2008 NFL season was the 89th regular season of the National Football League, themed with the slogan "Believe in Now."Super Bowl XLIII, the league's championship game, was at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on February 1, 2009, with the Pittsburgh Steelers coming out victorious over the...
–2009
2009 NFL season
The 2009 NFL season was the 90th regular season of the National Football League.The preseason started with the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game on August 9, 2009, and the regular season began September 10. The season ended with Super Bowl XLIV, the league's championship game, on February 7, 2010 at...
season. Since retirement, Dungy has served as an analyst on NBC's Football Night in America
Football Night in America
Football Night in America is the studio pregame show usually preceding NBC's broadcasts of Sunday night and Wild Card Saturday National Football League games starting in the 2006 National Football League season...
. Tony Dungy is also the national spokesman for the fatherhood program All Pro Dad
All Pro Dad
All Pro Dad the fatherhood program of Family First, a national non-profit organization based in Tampa, Florida. Launched in 1997 by Mark Merrill with the help of Tony Dungy, former head coach of the 2006 Super Bowl champion Indianapolis Colts, All Pro Dad is built on a football theme and features...
.
NFL career
Dungy was signed as a free agent by the Pittsburgh SteelersPittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
as a defensive back
Defensive back
In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
, where he played as a reserve and special teams player for the Steelers in 1977 and the Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
champion 1978 season, leading the team in interceptions in the latter campaign. In 1979 Dungy was traded to the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
, then finished his career a year later in the training camp of the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in 1980.
Dungy is the only NFL player since the AFL-NFL merger
AFL-NFL Merger
The AFL–NFL merger of 1970 was the merger of the two major professional American football leagues in the United States at the time: the National Football League and the American Football League...
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
Terry Bradshaw
Terry Paxton Bradshaw is a former American football quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League . He played 14 seasons. He is a football analyst and co-host of Fox NFL Sunday...
and Mike Kruczek
Mike Kruczek
-External links:*...
went down with injuries on October 9, 1977. He played safety on defense.
Assistant coaching positions
Following his NFL experience as a player, Dungy was invited to become an assistant coach for his alma mater, the University of MinnesotaUniversity of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
in 1980. After one season in charge of defensive back
Defensive back
In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
s, 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
Chuck Noll
Charles Henry "Chuck" Noll is a former professional American football player and coach, and a member of the Sid Gillman coaching tree. He served most notably as the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League from 1969 to 1991...
, his former coach, in 1981
1981 NFL season
The 1981 NFL season was the 62nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XVI when the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Cincinnati Bengals.-Major rule changes:...
. His work under Noll put Dungy in the Sid Gillman
Sid Gillman
Sidney "Sid" Gillman was an American football player, coach, executive, and innovator. Gillman's insistence on stretching the football field by throwing deep downfield passes, instead of short passes to running backs or wide receivers at the sides of the line of scrimmage, was instrumental in...
coaching tree
Coaching tree
A coaching tree is similar to a family tree except it shows the relationships of coaches instead of family members. There are several different ways to define a relationship between two coaches...
.
In 1982
1982 NFL season
The 1982 NFL season was the 63rd regular season of the National Football League. A 57-day long players' strike reduced the 1982 season from a 16-game schedule per team to an abbreviated nine game schedule...
, he was named defensive backfield coach, and was promoted in 1984 to defensive coordinator
Defensive coordinator
A defensive coordinator typically refers to a coach on a gridiron football team who is in charge of the defense. Generally, along with his offensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
. He left the Steelers in 1989 to become the defensive backs coach for the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
, and took over the defensive coordinator position for the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
under Dennis Green
Dennis Green
Dennis "Denny" Green is an American football head coach for the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League...
in 1992
1992 NFL season
The 1992 NFL season was the 73rd regular season of the National Football League.Due to the damage caused by Hurricane Andrew, the New England Patriots–Miami Dolphins game that was scheduled for September 6 at Joe Robbie Stadium was rescheduled to October 18. Both teams originally had that...
. 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 McKayRich McKay
Rich McKay is the president, CEO, and former general manager of the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was the general manager of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers when they won Super Bowl XXXVII.-Early years:...
to reform the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
, 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
Monte Kiffin
Monte Kiffin is an American football coach. He is widely considered to be one of the preeminent defensive coordinators in modern football, as well as one of the greatest defensive coordinators in NFL history...
with a few new wrinkles now known as the famous Tampa 2
Tampa 2
The Tampa 2 is an American football defensive strategy popularized by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers National Football League team in the mid 1990s-early 2000s. The Tampa 2 is typically employed out of a 4-3 defensive alignment, which consists of four linemen, three linebackers, two cornerbacks, and...
.
1996
Despite finishing with a 6-10 record in 19961996 NFL season
The 1996 NFL season was the 77th regular season of the National Football League and the season was marked by notable controversies from beginning to end...
, the Buccaneers finished strong and showed signs of developing into a winning team. After a home win versus the Raiders
1996 Oakland Raiders season
The 1996 Oakland Raiders season was their 37th in the league. They were unable to improve upon their previous season's output of 8–8, winning only seven games. This was the team's third consecutive season in which they failed to qualify for the playoffs....
, the Buccaneers fell to a quick 14–0 hole to the Chargers
1996 San Diego Chargers season
The 1996 San Diego Chargers season began with the team trying to improve on their 9–7 record in 1995. It was Bobby Ross's final season as the team's head coach. They missed making the playoffs by one game.-Schedule:-See also:*1996 NFL season...
in San Diego
Qualcomm Stadium
Qualcomm Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, in San Diego, California, in the Mission Valley area....
, where the Buccaneers had not won on the west coast in over 15 years. Instead of folding, the team fought to a hard win. Many Bucs fans believe that this was where the long-beleaguered franchise finally turned the corner. It turned out to be the only losing season Dungy would suffer as a head coach.
1997
In 19971997 NFL season
The 1997 NFL season was the 78th regular season of the National Football League. The Oilers relocated from Houston, Texas to Nashville, Tennessee...
, 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
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
for only their second playoff win in franchise history. They lost the next game to the defending champion Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
.
1998-2001
Under Dungy's watch, the Buccaneers made four playoff appearances and won their division in 1999 only to lose to the St. Louis Rams1999 St. Louis Rams season
The 1999 St. Louis Rams season was the team's 62nd year with the National Football League and the fifth season in St. Louis, Missouri. The Rams finished the regular-season with a record of 13-3, and the NFC West Championship. The Rams were undefeated at home for the first time since 1973. On the...
in the NFC Championship Game. Under Dungy, Tampa Bay struggled unsuccessfully to reach the playoffs in 1998. They went on to reach the playoffs again in 1999, 2000 and 2001. 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 were often to blame, as QB Shaun King
Shaun King
Shaun Earl King is a former Tulane University and National Football League quarterback.-High School:King is a 1995 graduate of Gibbs High School .-College:...
had to work with 3 different coordinators in 3 years. Dungy was fired 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
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Additionally, owner Malcolm Glazer
Malcolm Glazer
Malcolm Irving Glazer is an American businessman and sports team owner. He is the president and chief executive officer of First Allied Corporation, a holding company for his varied business interests, most notably in the food processing industry...
felt Dungy's conservative offense was too inconsistent against NFL teams. Dungy thus became the first coach in Bucs history to leave the team with a winning record.
The following year, the Buccaneers defeated the favored Philadelphia Eagles
2001 Philadelphia Eagles season
The 2001 Philadelphia Eagles season resulted in a postseason appearance.-NFL Draft:-Depth chart:-Staff:-Schedule:-Standings:-Playoffs:-References:* * *...
in the 2002 NFC Championship game under coach Jon Gruden
Jon Gruden
Jon David Gruden is an American football analyst and former head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for seven seasons and prior to that the Oakland Raiders for four seasons. In his first year as the head coach of Tampa Bay, the Buccaneers won Super Bowl XXXVII, defeating the Raiders whom he had...
, using Dungy's defense and the roster he built, en route to the club's first Super Bowl
Super Bowl XXXVII
Super Bowl XXXVII was an American football game played on January 26, 2003 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 2002 regular season...
appearance and victory.
Indianapolis Colts
On January 22, 2002, Dungy was hired as head coach of the Indianapolis ColtsIndianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
, a team that at the time was very potent offensively, but very weak defensively. He installed his "Tampa 2
Tampa 2
The Tampa 2 is an American football defensive strategy popularized by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers National Football League team in the mid 1990s-early 2000s. The Tampa 2 is typically employed out of a 4-3 defensive alignment, which consists of four linemen, three linebackers, two cornerbacks, and...
" 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 by Jim Mora
Jim E. Mora
James Earnest Mora is the former head coach of the USFL's Philadelphia/Baltimore Stars and the NFL's New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts. He played football at Occidental College where he was also a member of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity. His son Jim L...
, in both playing style and in personnel, virtually unchanged. Dungy was reunited with Tom Moore
Tom Moore (football coach)
Tom Moore is a football coach, currently working as an offensive consultant for the NFL's New York Jets.-Early life:...
, 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 postseason. In his first season at Indianapolis the Colts were shut out 41–0 by the New York Jets
2002 New York Jets season
The 2002 New York Jets season was the 43rd season for the team, and the 33rd in the National Football League. The team tried to improve upon its 10–6 record from 2001...
in a first-round playoff game, and the team lost postseason games to the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
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$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
5 million per year.
The Colts focused on defensive improvements during the 2005 offseason, signing five-year defensive tackle Corey Simon
Corey Simon
Corey Jermaine Simon is a retired American football defensive tackle of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles sixth overall in the 2000 NFL Draft...
. Widely expected to be a Super Bowl contender, the Colts
2005 Indianapolis Colts season
The 2005 Indianapolis Colts season was the 53rd season for the team in the National Football League and 22nd in Indianapolis. The 2005 Colts season began with the team trying to improve on their 12–4 record from 2004 and to advance further into the playoffs...
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
1972 Miami Dolphins season
The 1972 Miami Dolphins are the only National Football League team to win the Super Bowl with a perfect season. The undefeated campaign was led by coach Don Shula and notable players Bob Griese, Earl Morrall, and Larry Csonka...
.
Their thirteenth win guaranteed the Colts home field advantage throughout the playoffs. With nothing to play for except the chance to go unbeaten, the Colts lost their 14th game to the San Diego Chargers
2005 San Diego Chargers season
The 2005 San Diego Chargers season began with the team trying to improve on their 12–4 record in 2004. They finished the campaign 3rd in their division and as a result missed out on the playoffs. Outside linebacker Shawne Merriman was named rookie of the Year at the end of the season.-NFL...
. The Colts only played their starters sparingly in the last two games. The Colts lost in their first playoff game to the eventual Super Bowl winner Pittsburgh Steelers
2005 Pittsburgh Steelers season
The 2005 Pittsburgh Steelers season began with the team trying to improve on their 15–1 record from 2004 in which they lost to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game at Heinz Field. The Steelers, with the sixth and final seed to the playoffs, became just the second team ever to win...
. This loss made the Colts the first team to ever start a season 13–0 and not reach the Super Bowl.
The Colts
2006 Indianapolis Colts season
The 2006 Indianapolis Colts season was the 54th season for the team in the National Football League and 23rd in Indianapolis. The 2006 Colts season began with the team trying to maintain or improve on their regular season record of 14–2 from the 2005 season, and advance farther into the playoffs....
' 2006 playoff run was characterized by a marked improvement in defensive play, as the Colts defeated the Kansas City Chiefs
2006 Kansas City Chiefs season
The 2006 Kansas City Chiefs season began with the team looking to improve on their 10–6 record in 2005 under new head coach Herman Edwards.The team battled many obstacles during the 2006 season, including the loss of starting quarterback Trent Green in the first game, the readjustment of a...
, holding one of the NFL's best running backs to less than 50 yards, and upset the favored Baltimore Ravens
2006 Baltimore Ravens season
The 2006 Baltimore Ravens season began with the team trying to improve on their 6–10 record in 2005. The Ravens, for the first time in franchise history, started 4–0. The Ravens' ended the regular season with a team-best 13–3 record. The Ravens clinched the AFC North title, 1st-round bye...
in the divisional round. On January 21, 2007, after trailing 21-3, the Colts defeated the New England Patriots to become AFC Champions
AFC Championship Game
The American Football Conference Championship Game is one of the two final playoff matches of the National Football League, the largest professional American football league in the United States. The game is played on the penultimate Sunday in January and determines the champion of the American...
and advanced to Super Bowl XLI
Super Bowl XLI
Super Bowl XLI was an American football game that featured the American Football Conference champion Indianapolis Colts and the National Football Conference champion Chicago Bears to decide the National Football League champion for the 2006 season...
. This was the largest comeback in conference title game history. By a matter of only a few hours, Dungy became the second African-American coach to lead his team to the Super Bowl. His good friend, Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
head coach Lovie Smith
Lovie Smith
Lovie Lee Smith is the head coach of the Chicago Bears professional football team of the NFL. Smith has been to the Super Bowl twice, as the defensive coordinator for the 2001 Saint Louis Rams and as the head coach for the Chicago Bears in 2006....
, had clinched the NFC's bid in the Super Bowl earlier in the day.
On February 4, 2007, Dungy and the Colts won Super Bowl XLI 29–17 over the Bears at Dolphin Stadium
Dolphin Stadium
Sun Life Stadium is an American football stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, a suburb of Miami. It is the home stadium of the Miami Dolphins National Football League team, and the University of Miami Hurricanes football team. It also hosts the Orange Bowl, an annual college football bowl game. It...
in Miami.
On December 23, 2007, with a win over the Houston Texans
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Dungy won his 72nd game as Colts head coach, passing Don Shula to become the winningest coach in franchise history.
On January 21, 2008, Dungy announced that he would return at least for the 2008 season
2008 NFL season
The 2008 NFL season was the 89th regular season of the National Football League, themed with the slogan "Believe in Now."Super Bowl XLIII, the league's championship game, was at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on February 1, 2009, with the Pittsburgh Steelers coming out victorious over the...
.
Retirement
On January 12, 2009, Jim Caldwell (the former Wake ForestWake Forest University
Wake Forest University is a private, coeducational university in the U.S. state of North Carolina, founded in 1834. The university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina, the state capital. The Reynolda Campus, the university's main campus, is...
head coach) was chosen as the new head coach for the Indianapolis Colts after being named Dungy's future successor a year earlier. On November 1, 2010, the Colts added Tony Dungy's name to the Colts Ring of Honor located on the middle balcony on the east side of Lucas Oil Stadium.
Broadcasting
In June 2009, NBC SportsNBC Sports
NBC Sports is the sports division of the NBC television network. Formerly "a service of NBC News," it broadcasts a diverse array of programs, including the Olympic Games, the NFL, the NHL, MLS, Notre Dame football, the PGA Tour, the Triple Crown, and the French Open, among others...
hired Dungy to serve as a studio color analyst on the network's weekly Sunday Night Football
NBC Sunday Night Football
NBC Sunday Night Football is a weekly television broadcast of Sunday evening National Football League games on NBC that began airing on Sunday, August 6, 2006 with the pre-season opening Hall of Fame Game. Al Michaels serves as the play-by-play announcer, with Cris Collinsworth as the color...
pregame show, Football Night in America
Football Night in America
Football Night in America is the studio pregame show usually preceding NBC's broadcasts of Sunday night and Wild Card Saturday National Football League games starting in the 2006 National Football League season...
.
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. He was also the youngest assistant coach at age 25 and the youngest coordinator at age 28 in NFL history.Dungy was the first African-American head coach to win the Super Bowl (with the Colts' victory over the Bears in 2007). He was the third black head coach to win a pro football championship in North America, behind Darren Arbet
Darren Arbet
Darren Arbet is an Arena Football League head coach for the San Jose SaberCats. He has a career record of 109-45, including 3 titles, ArenaBowl XVI, ArenaBowl XVIII, and ArenaBowl XXI.-High school years:...
of the San Jose Sabercats
San Jose SaberCats
The San Jose SaberCats are a professional arena football team in the Arena Football League. They began play as a 1995 expansion team. They played in the Western Division of the American Conference. Their final coach in the original Arena Football League was Darren Arbet, who will be a part of the...
(Arena Football League) who won ArenaBowl XVI
ArenaBowl XVI
ArenaBowl XVI was played between the San Jose SaberCats and Arizona Rattlers in San Jose, California on August 18, 2002. A game with considerable expectations given the teams' intense rivalry and respective success that year, the SaberCats surprised everyone by posting the most dominant victory in...
in 2002 and Pinball Clemons
Pinball Clemons
Michael Lutrell "Pinball" Clemons, O.Ont is the current Vice-Chair for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League. Clemons also played with the Argos for twelve seasons, and twice served as their head coach. His No. 31 jersey is one of only four that has been retired by the Argos...
of the Toronto Argonauts
Toronto Argonauts
The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...
(Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
) who won the 92nd Grey Cup
92nd Grey Cup
The 92nd Grey Cup game took place on November 21, 2004, at Frank Clair Stadium in Ottawa, Ontario. The game decided the championship of the 2004 Canadian Football League season...
in 2004.
Dungy also became the sixth man to play in a Super Bowl and be the head coach of a Super Bowl team. He joins Dan Reeves
Dan Reeves
Daniel Edward Reeves is a former American football player and head coach. He has participated in more Super Bowls as player/assistant coach/Head Coach than anyone else...
, Sam Wyche
Sam Wyche
Samuel David "Sam" Wyche is a former American football player and head coach, who is best known as the head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals of the NFL...
, Mike Ditka
Mike Ditka
Michael Keller Ditka, Jr. is a former American football NFL player, television commentator, and coach. Ditka coached the Chicago Bears for 11 years and New Orleans Saints for three years. Ditka and Tom Flores are the only two people to win Super Bowls as a player, an assistant coach, and a head...
, Forrest Gregg
Forrest Gregg
Alvis Forrest Gregg is a former American football player and coach in the National Football League. During a Pro Football Hall of Fame playing career, he was a part of six championships, five of them with the Green Bay Packers before closing out his tenure with the Dallas Cowboys with a win in...
and Tom Flores
Tom Flores
Thomas R. "Tom" Flores is a retired American football quarterback and coach. Flores and Mike Ditka are the only two people in the National Football League history to win a Super Bowl as a player, as an assistant coach, and as a head coach...
. After the win in Super Bowl XLI
Super Bowl XLI
Super Bowl XLI was an American football game that featured the American Football Conference champion Indianapolis Colts and the National Football Conference champion Chicago Bears to decide the National Football League champion for the 2006 season...
, Dungy became the third man to win Super Bowls both as a player and a head coach, following Ditka and Flores.
Coaching strategy
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 MooreTom Moore (football coach)
Tom Moore is a football coach, currently working as an offensive consultant for the NFL's New York Jets.-Early life:...
because the offense was in the hands of someone he knew and trusted. In both cases, most of the offensive planning has been handled by his offensive coordinators.
On defense, Dungy uses a stifling "Cover 2" style zone defense
Zone defense
Zone defense is a type of defense, used in team sports, which is the alternative to man-to-man defense; instead of each player guarding a corresponding player on the other team, each defensive player is given an area known as a "zone" to cover....
, which is usually based on a formation with 4 linemen, 3 linebackers, and 4 defensive backs. The "Cover 2" defense Dungy uses involves having 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 the Cover 2 defense is not a new concept, Dungy "systemized" it into an every down defense. The personnel and techniques that Dungy uses in this defense are very specific, and as a result, his style of defense has earned the moniker of the "Tampa 2
Tampa 2
The Tampa 2 is an American football defensive strategy popularized by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers National Football League team in the mid 1990s-early 2000s. The Tampa 2 is typically employed out of a 4-3 defensive alignment, which consists of four linemen, three linebackers, two cornerbacks, and...
" around the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
.
Coaching tree
Like Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Bill Cowher , 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 RuleRooney Rule
The Rooney Rule, established in 2003, requires National Football League teams to interview minority candidates for head coaching and senior football operation opportunities...
by Steelers owner Dan Rooney
Dan Rooney
Daniel Milton "Dan" Rooney is the United States Ambassador to Ireland. He is chairman emeritus of the Pittsburgh Steelers football team in the National Football League , which was founded by his father, Art Rooney. Rooney was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2000 for his contributions...
, requiring teams to interview minority coaches.
As of January 3, 2011, four members from Dungy's coaching staff are head coaches of NFL teams:
- Lovie SmithLovie SmithLovie Lee Smith is the head coach of the Chicago Bears professional football team of the NFL. Smith has been to the Super Bowl twice, as the defensive coordinator for the 2001 Saint Louis Rams and as the head coach for the Chicago Bears in 2006....
for the Chicago BearsChicago BearsThe Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
(Linebackers coach under Dungy at Tampa Bay) - Mike TomlinMike TomlinMichael Tomlin is the current head coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. Tomlin is the third youngest head coach in any of the four major North American professional sports. He is the tenth African-American head coach in NFL history, and first in Steelers history...
for the Pittsburgh SteelersPittsburgh SteelersThe Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
(Defensive backs coach under Dungy at Tampa Bay) - Jim CaldwellJim Caldwell (football coach)-NFL:-External links:* *...
for the Indianapolis Colts (Assistant head coach under Dungy at Indianapolis) - Leslie FrazierLeslie FrazierLeslie Antonio Frazier is a former cornerback/safety in the National Football League for the Chicago Bears and is currently the head coach for the Minnesota Vikings.-College career:...
for the Minnesota VikingsMinnesota VikingsThe Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
(Defensive backs coach under Dungy at Indianapolis)
Moreover, Rod Marinelli
Rod Marinelli
Rodney Marinelli is the defensive coordinator and assistant head coach of the Chicago Bears. He is the former head coach of the Detroit Lions...
, the defensive line coach under Dungy at Tampa Bay, was the head coach of the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
between 2006 and 2008, Mike Shula
Mike Shula
Mike Shula is an American football quarterback coach for the Carolina Panthers, an NFL team. Between 2003 and 2006, he was the head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide football program.- Early life :...
, the offensive coordinator under Dungy at Tampa, was the head coach of Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
between 2003 and 2006, and Herman Edwards
Herman Edwards
Herman "Herm" Edwards, Jr. is an American football analyst who most recently coached in the National Football League for the Kansas City Chiefs. He was fired from this position on January 23, 2009. Since then, he has been hired as a football analyst for ESPN...
, the former head coach for the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
was an assistant head coach under Dungy at Tampa Bay.
Joe Barry
Joe Barry
Joe Barry is the linebackers coach for the University of Southern California, former linebackers coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the former defensive coordinator for the National Football League Detroit Lions. He is the son of former Detroit Lions assistant offensive line coach Mike Barry...
, a linebackers coach under Dungy at Tampa Bay, was the defensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
between 2006 and 2008.
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
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
' dynasty of the 1970s. He was influenced by the defensive schemes learned under Chuck Noll
Chuck Noll
Charles Henry "Chuck" Noll is a former professional American football player and coach, and a member of the Sid Gillman coaching tree. He served most notably as the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League from 1969 to 1991...
and Bud Carson
Bud Carson
Leon H. "Bud" Carson was an American football coach best known for his role on the Pittsburgh Steelers' championship teams of the 1970s.-Player:Carson played defensive back for North Carolina from 1949 to 1951, then entered the Marines.-Georgia Tech:...
. Dungy said that he inherited most of the coaching philosophies from Noll and he is proud to be a protégé of Noll.
Coaching philosophy
Dungy stresses that coaches are essentially teachers who put faithFaith
Faith is confidence or trust in a person or thing, or a belief that is not based on proof. In religion, faith is a belief in a transcendent reality, a religious teacher, a set of teachings or a Supreme Being. Generally speaking, it is offered as a means by which the truth of the proposition,...
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
Lovie Smith
Lovie Lee Smith is the head coach of the Chicago Bears professional football team of the NFL. Smith has been to the Super Bowl twice, as the defensive coordinator for the 2001 Saint Louis Rams and as the head coach for the Chicago Bears in 2006....
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.
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
Cam Cameron
-External links:...
, former head coach of the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, highly recommended the book by buying 1,000 books to give away to football coaches at his preseason coaching clinic in July 2007 in South Florida, 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....
Head coaching record
| Team | |Regular Season | TB 1996 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season The 1996 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season began with the team trying to improve on an 7-9 season. It was the first season for Tony Dungy as the team's head coach who had no previous experience as a head coach. Prior to the season the Buccaneers were still unsure if the team would remain in Tampa Bay or... |
1996 1996 NFL season The 1996 NFL season was the 77th regular season of the National Football League and the season was marked by notable controversies from beginning to end... |
6 | 10 | 0 | .438 | 4th in NFC Central | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | - | ||||||||
| TB 1997 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season The 1997 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season began with the team trying to improve on a 6-10 season from 1996. The 1997 season was notable for several reasons... |
1997 1997 NFL season The 1997 NFL season was the 78th regular season of the National Football League. The Oilers relocated from Houston, Texas to Nashville, Tennessee... |
10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 2nd in NFC Central | 1 | 1 | .500 | Lost to Green Bay Packers Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions... in NFC Divisional Game. |
| TB 1998 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season The 1998 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was seen as a disappointment following their breakthrough 1997 season. It was their first season in Raymond James Stadium. They were the only team to beat the Minnesota Vikings during the regular season. In week 16 they recorded the biggest road win in their... |
1998 1998 NFL season The 1998 NFL season was the 79th regular season of the National Football League.The Tennessee Oilers moved their home games from Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis to Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, still awaiting construction on a new stadium in Nashville.This was the first season that CBS... |
8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 3rd in NFC Central | - | - | - | - |
| TB 1999 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season The 1999 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season began with the team trying to improve on an 8-8 season. Rookie Shaun King replaced the injured and inconsistent Trent Dilfer late in the season... |
1999 1999 NFL season The 1999 NFL season was the 80th regular season of the National Football League. The Cleveland Browns returned to the field for the first time since the 1995 season... |
11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 1st in NFC Central | 1 | 1 | .500 | Lost to St. Louis Rams St. Louis Rams The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,... in NFC Championship Game. |
| TB 2000 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season The 2000 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season began with the team trying to improve on a 11-5 season. In week 15 they won one of the greatest games in the history of Monday Night Football against the St. Louis Rams... |
2000 2000 NFL season The 2000 NFL season was the 81st regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXXV when the Baltimore Ravens defeated the New York Giants.Week 1 of the season reverted to Labor Day weekend in 2000... |
10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 2nd in NFC Central | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost to Philadelphia Eagles Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... in NFC Wild-Card Game. |
| TB 2001 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season The 2001 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season began with the team trying to improve on a 10-6 season. It was Tony Dungy's final season as the Buccaneers head coach. He was fired after losing in the playoffs to Philadelphia for the second straight season.-Staff:... |
2001 2001 NFL season The 2001 NFL season was the 82nd regular season of the National Football League.Following a pattern set in 1999, the first week of the season was permanently moved to the weekend following Labor Day... |
9 | 7 | 0 | .562 | 3rd in NFC Central | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost to Philadelphia Eagles Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... in NFC Wild-Card Game. |
| TB Total | 54 | 42 | 0 | .556 | 2 | 4 | .333 | |||
| IND 2002 Indianapolis Colts season The 2002 Indianapolis Colts season was the 50th season for the team in the National Football League and 19th in Indianapolis.The 2002 season marked the first for the Colts in the new AFC South after competing for 32 seasons in the AFC East.... |
2002 2002 NFL season The 2002 NFL season was the 83rd regular season of the National Football League.The league went back to an even number of teams, expanding to 32 teams with the addition of the Houston Texans. The clubs were then realigned into eight divisions, four teams in each... |
10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 2nd in AFC South | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost to New York Jets New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... in AFC Wild-Card Game. |
| IND 2003 Indianapolis Colts season The 2003 Indianapolis Colts season was the 51st season for the team in the National Football League and 20th in Indianapolis.-Roster:-Schedule:- Division standings :... |
2003 2003 NFL season -Milestones:The following teams and players set all-time NFL records during the season:-Team:-Individual:-Awards:-External Links:**-References:*NFL Record and Fact Book *... |
12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 1st in AFC South | 2 | 1 | .666 | Lost to New England Patriots New England Patriots The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National... in AFC Championship Game. |
| IND 2004 Indianapolis Colts season The 2004 Indianapolis Colts season was the 52nd season for the team in the National Football League and 21st in Indianapolis. The 2004 Colts season began with the team trying to maintain or improve on their 12–4 record from 2003, and advance farther into the playoffs... |
2004 2004 NFL season The 2004 NFL season was the 85th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 9, 2004 to January 2, 2005... |
12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 1st in AFC South | 1 | 1 | .500 | Lost to New England Patriots New England Patriots The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National... in AFC Divisional Game. |
| IND 2005 Indianapolis Colts season The 2005 Indianapolis Colts season was the 53rd season for the team in the National Football League and 22nd in Indianapolis. The 2005 Colts season began with the team trying to improve on their 12–4 record from 2004 and to advance further into the playoffs... |
2005 2005 NFL season The 2005 NFL season was the 86th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 8, 2005 to January 1, 2006... |
14 | 2 | 0 | .875 | 1st in AFC South | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost to Pittsburgh Steelers Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC... in AFC Divisional Game. |
| IND 2006 Indianapolis Colts season The 2006 Indianapolis Colts season was the 54th season for the team in the National Football League and 23rd in Indianapolis. The 2006 Colts season began with the team trying to maintain or improve on their regular season record of 14–2 from the 2005 season, and advance farther into the playoffs.... |
2006 2006 NFL season The 2006 NFL season was the 87th regular season of the National Football League.Regular season play was held from September 7 to December 31, 2006... |
12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 1st in AFC South | 4 | 0 | 1.000 | Super Bowl XLI Super Bowl XLI Super Bowl XLI was an American football game that featured the American Football Conference champion Indianapolis Colts and the National Football Conference champion Chicago Bears to decide the National Football League champion for the 2006 season... Champions. |
| IND 2007 Indianapolis Colts season The 2007 Indianapolis Colts season was the 55th season for the team in the National Football League and 24th in Indianapolis. The 2007 Indianapolis Colts improved upon their 12–4 record from 2006 as well as winning their 5th straight AFC South Championship. They finished the season 13–3 and lost to... |
2007 2007 NFL season The 2007 NFL season was the 88th regular season of the National Football League.Regular-season play was held from September 6 to December 30.... |
13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 1st in AFC South | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost to San Diego Chargers San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... in AFC Divisional Game NFL playoffs, 2007–08 The National Football League playoffs for the 2007 season began on January 5, 2008 and led up to Super Bowl XLII on February 3, 2008 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.-NFC: Seattle Seahawks 35, Washington Redskins 14:... . |
| IND 2008 Indianapolis Colts season The 2008 Indianapolis Colts season was the 56th season for the team in the National Football League and the 25th in Indianapolis. It was the first season since 2002 that the Colts did not win the AFC South title. However, after a 3–4 start on the season Peyton Manning led the Colts to a nine-game... |
2008 2008 NFL season The 2008 NFL season was the 89th regular season of the National Football League, themed with the slogan "Believe in Now."Super Bowl XLIII, the league's championship game, was at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on February 1, 2009, with the Pittsburgh Steelers coming out victorious over the... |
12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 2nd in AFC South | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost to San Diego Chargers San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... in AFC Wild-Card Game NFL playoffs, 2007–08 The National Football League playoffs for the 2007 season began on January 5, 2008 and led up to Super Bowl XLII on February 3, 2008 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.-NFC: Seattle Seahawks 35, Washington Redskins 14:... . |
| IND Total | 85 | 27 | 0 | .759 | 7 | 6 | .538 | |||
| Total | 139 | 69 | 0 | .668 | 9 | 10 | .474 | |||
Civic involvement
In August 2007, PresidentPresident of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
appointed Dungy a member of the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation
President's Council on Service and Civic Participation
The President's Council on Service and Civic Participation was created by President George W. Bush in January 2003 by executive order. Its mission is to encourage volunteerism and to recognize the contributions Americans make through service and civic participation.In January 2002, President...
. 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."
In March 2009 President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
invited Dungy to join the Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. 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.
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 AthletesFellowship of Christian Athletes
The Fellowship of Christian Athletes is a non-profit interdenominational Christian organization founded in 1954 and that has been based in Kansas City, Missouri since 1956. It falls within the tradition of Muscular Christianity. Although established by evangelical Protestants, the concept has...
and Athletes in Action
Athletes in Action
Athletes in Action is an evangelical Christian sports ministry in the tradition of Muscular Christianity. Athletes in Action, a ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ, works with athletes and coaches to use the unique platform of sport to help people around the world with questions of faith...
.
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. His community involvement and care continues in Indianapolis where Tony helped launch the Basket of Hope program which aids patients at the Riley Hospital for Children. He continues to assist Big Brothers/Big Sisters
Big Brothers Big Sisters of America
Big Brothers Big Sisters of America is a 501 non-profit organization whose mission is to help children reach their potential through professionally supported, one-to-one relationships with mentors that try to have a measurable impact on youth....
and the Boys and Girls Club in Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
. He also supports the Black Coaches Association National Convention and Indiana Black Expo.
Dungy is an evangelical Christian and at one point in his coaching career considered leaving football for the prison ministry. Throughout his career, he has remained involved with community service organizations. On March 20, 2007, Dungy aligned himself with a socially conservative
Social conservatism
Social Conservatism is primarily a political, and usually morally influenced, ideology that focuses on the preservation of what are seen as traditional values. Social conservatism is a form of authoritarianism often associated with the position that the federal government should have a greater role...
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 also appeared in a testimonial video on I Am Second
I Am Second
I Am Second is an evangelical Christian multimedia movement and not-for-profit organization that is designed to inspire people to live for Jesus Christ and others...
, in which he shares his story of his personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Dungy is married to Lauren Harris of Pittsburgh and has two daughters, Tiara and Jade, and five sons, James (died December 22, 2005), Eric, Jordan, Justin and Jason. James committed suicide at age 18, outside of Tampa. The Dungys still keep their home in the Tampa Bay area. Dungy's son, Eric, plays football at the University of Oregon.
On September 6, 2007, The Indianapolis Star
The Indianapolis Star
The Indianapolis Star is a morning daily newspaper that began publishing on June 6, 1903. It has won the Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting twice, in 1975 and 1991. It is currently owned by the Gannett Company.-History:...
reported that the Davie-Brown Index (DBI)
Davie-Brown Index (DBI)
The Davie Brown Index is an independent index for brand marketers and agencies that quantifies consumer perceptions of more than 2,900 celebrities, including TV and film stars, musical artists, reality TV stars, news personalities, politicians, athletes, and business leaders.Developed by the...
, an independent celebrity rating service for advertisers, places 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 as Tom Hanks
Tom Hanks
Thomas Jeffrey "Tom" Hanks is an American actor, producer, writer, and director. Hanks worked in television and family-friendly comedies, gaining wide notice in 1988's Big, before achieving success as a dramatic actor in several notable roles, including Andrew Beckett in Philadelphia, the title...
and Morgan Freeman
Morgan Freeman
Morgan Freeman is an American actor, film director, aviator and narrator. He is noted for his reserved demeanor and authoritative speaking voice. Freeman has received Academy Award nominations for his performances in Street Smart, Driving Miss Daisy, The Shawshank Redemption and Invictus and won...
. Among sports figures, he ranks second only to Hank Aaron.
On February 27, 2008, Indiana Wesleyan University
Indiana Wesleyan University
Indiana Wesleyan University is a private, evangelical Christian, liberal arts university located in Marion, Indiana that is affiliated with the Wesleyan Church denomination...
honored Dungy in a ceremony where he was inducted into IWU's Society of World Changers. Dungy also received an honorary doctorate of humane letters from the university.
On August 5, 2009, Dungy spoke at the 53rd General Council of the Assemblies of God
Assemblies of God
The Assemblies of God , officially the World Assemblies of God Fellowship, is a group of over 140 autonomous but loosely-associated national groupings of churches which together form the world's largest Pentecostal denomination...
.
Since retirement, Dungy has become an informal mentor to the formerly suspended NFL player Michael Vick
Michael Vick
Michael Dwayne Vick is an American football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League...
, counseling him during his incarceration and, with the help of Donovan McNabb
Donovan McNabb
Donovan Jamal McNabb is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was the Philadelphia Eagles' quarterback from 1999 to 2009 and spent the 2010 season with the Washington Redskins and a portion of the 2011 season with the Minnesota Vikings. In college, McNabb played...
, convincing Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
owner Jeff Lurie and head coach Andy Reid
Andy Reid
Andrew Walter "Andy" Reid is the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles of the NFL, a post he has held since 1999. Since 2001, he has also been the team's executive vice president of football operations...
to consider signing him to the team's roster.
Books
Dungy's memoirMemoir
A memoir , is a literary genre, forming a subclass of autobiography – although the terms 'memoir' and 'autobiography' are almost interchangeable. Memoir is autobiographical writing, but not all autobiographical writing follows the criteria for memoir set out below...
, Quiet Strength: The Principles, Practices, and Priorities of a Winning Life, was released on July 10, 2007 and reached No. 1 on the hardcover nonfiction section of the New York Times Best Seller list
New York Times Best Seller list
The New York Times Best Seller list is widely considered the preeminent list of best-selling books in the United States. It is published weekly in The New York Times Book Review magazine, which is published in the Sunday edition of The New York Times and as a stand-alone publication...
on August 5, 2007 and again on September 9, 2007. Tyndale House
Tyndale House
Tyndale House is a publisher founded in 1962 by Kenneth N. Taylor, in order to publish his paraphrase of the Epistles, which he had composed while commuting to work at Moody Press in Chicago. The book appeared under the title Living Letters, and received a television endorsement from Billy Graham...
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 published a 24-page children's picture book called You Can Do It with Little Simon Inspirations, a division of Simon & Schuster
Simon & Schuster
Simon & Schuster, Inc., a division of CBS Corporation, is a publisher founded in New York City in 1924 by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. It is one of the four largest English-language publishers, alongside Random House, Penguin and HarperCollins...
on July 8, 2008, reached No. 1 on the children's picture books section of the New York Times Best Seller list on July 27, 2008 and stayed on the top 10 for 5 weeks. 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. Dungy said that his other hopes for You 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 gifted in, even if it might be not the popular thing to do.
Dungy has also published Uncommon: 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."
Uncommon reached No. 2 on the hardcover advice section of the New York Times Best Seller list and stayed on the top 10 for 9 weeks.
On August 3, 2010 Dungy released a new book entitled The Mentor Leader, which debuted at No. 2 and stayed on the top 10 for 5 weeks on the hardcover advice section of the New York Times Best Seller list.
On January 11, 2011 Dungy and wife Lauren released a new book entitled You Can Be a Friend. Their story teaches children what it means to be a good friend. The book debuted at No. 7 and stayed on the top 10 for 1 week on the children's picture books section of the New York Times Best Seller list.
Endorsements
Dungy graced the cover of NFL Head Coach 09NFL Head Coach 09
NFL Head Coach 09 is the follow-up to NFL Head Coach for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The game was released on August 12, 2008. The game is available in the 20th Anniversary Special Edition of Madden NFL 09, and was released as a standalone game on September 2, 2008...
as its "cover coach". The previous head coach on the cover was Bill Cowher
Bill Cowher
William Laird "Bill" Cowher is a former American football coach and player. Cowher resigned after 15 seasons as the Steelers' coach on January 5, 2007, 11 months to the day after winning 2005–06's Super Bowl XL...
. Coincidentally, both coaches would retire the season after their cover issues were published.
Awards
In 2007 Dungy was awarded the Amos Alonzo Stagg Coaching annual Award by the United States Sports AcademyUnited States Sports Academy
The United States Sports Academy is an accredited, sport-specific institution located in Daphne, Alabama. It offers bachelor's, master's and doctoral degree programs as well as certificate programs. Founded in 1972, the Academy has provided its sports programs to more than 60 countries around the...
. He also coached the Midland Lee Rebels to a 5A State Title.