Will this be Tony Dungy’s last season?

An interview with the best coach in the NFL

 

By: Larry Fitzgerald
Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder
Originally posted 5/21/2008

 

   After the Indianapolis Colts lost in the playoffs last year to the San Diego Chargers, it appeared that one of the NFL’s great head coaches, Tony Dungy, the first Black coach to win a Super Bowl, was about to retire for personal reasons.

 Dungy’s wife and family have remained in Tampa, Florida, since he became head coach in Indianapolis. Since losing their son three years ago to a tragic suicide, it’s been extra tough on the family commuting back and fourth from Florida to Indiana.

 After the season, Dungy took some time off and gave strong consideration to retirement. The good news is that he’s coming back to coach another season. I sat down with Dungy (TD) a while back to talk life and football.

 LF: Tony, since you’ve been in Indianapolis you’ve won a Super Bowl Championship, the Colts are getting a new state-of-the-art retractable roof stadium, there’s a new billion-dollar airport — it’s been incredible the things that have happened since you arrived in town.

 TD: There are a lot of good things going on. I know the Colts are proud to be right in the middle of it. We feel like the new stadium is really going to help our football club, but also the whole downtown area. We’ll be able to have NCAA Final Fours here, so we’re excited.

 LF: You made a tough decision in the off season on consideration of maybe retiring and walking away from the game. I’m happy you decided to continue as head coach. Share with us your thinking.

 TD: We’re excited about being back. We’ve got a great team, a great group of guys to coach. There are some things that I would like to do, and down the road I think I’ll be able to do a little bit more community service work at one point. But right now I’m still excited about coaching the team.

 LF: Talk about the salary cap going up for each NFL team to $116 million and some of the issues regarding whether or not the NFL owners may opt out on the current collective bargaining agreement.

TD: It really comes down to the small-market teams and the big-market teams. We’re spending $116 million this year, but we don’t take in as much as the Dallas Cowboys and Washington. It’s a little harder for teams like Indianapolis and Minnesota to hang in there.

 I know that’s what some of the owners are looking at, but we’ll come up with a solution that makes it fair for everybody. We’ve got a great game, and I think we can continue to grow it.

 LF: Tony, you’re one of the great coaches in the NFL with the best winning percentage of all active coaches, and you’re one of the most respected people in sports. Talk about your New York Times bestselling book Quiet Strength and sharing your story nationally.

 TD: It’s been phenomenal. Quiet Strength is the name of it. It was released last summer. It has sold way beyond what we felt.

 It really is just a book that talks about my coaching philosophy, where it came from — my parents, coaches that I’ve played for, Chuck Noll — and just how I go about coaching. It’s been a big seller, and it’s been quite unbelievable for me.

 LF: Your relationship with Tubby Smith — talk about it a bit. Are you surprised that he chose to come to Minnesota after leaving Kentucky?

 TD: Not really. Tubby’s a great guy. I’ve gotten to know him since he came to the Gophers, and the thing he’s brought is credibility. I know he’s going to be able to recruit some great players up there. He’s got the energy going in the program again, and it’s great to see.

 LF: Will your new stadium be ready for the 2008 season?

 TD: Yes, it will be ready. We are going to open up in August. It’s going to be ready, and we’re going to have some NCAA basketball played there in the winter also.

 LF: Maybe the first Super Bowl for Indianapolis one day?

 TD: We would like that. We are going to bid for the 2012 game, and hopefully we’ll get it.

 LF: Tony, thanks so much. Only the best to you. I remember all too well the great days for you back in Minnesota as a star Gopher quarterback and as defensive coordinator under Dennis Green with the Vikings before you became a head coach in Tampa. You had the number-one defense in the NFL with the Vikings in 1993, and now you’re the best coach in the NFL!

 TD: Thank you very much, Larry, it’s always great visiting with you. And I look forward to seeing you in September when the Colts play the Vikings in Minnesota.

 Larry Fitzgerald can be heard weekday mornings on KMOJ Radio 89.9 FM at 8:25 am, and biweekly he commentates on sports 7-8 pm on Almanac (TPT channel 2). He welcomes reader responses to lfitzgerald@spokesman-recorder.com, or visit www.Larry-Fitzgerald.com.