Saying Goodbye to a Legend

It became official even before it became official. Indianapolis Colts Head Coach Tony Dungy is retiring from the game of football. Dungy’s impact on the game went far beyond X’s and O’s and went straight to the heart of professional sports. His integrity, passion and sense of absolute determination made him a respected leader in the community and on the football field.

We lost the class act of the league today, a man that put African-American coaches on the map of success. In 13 NFL season’s as a Head Coach (six with Tampa Bay and 7 with the Colts) Dungy accumulated 148 career wins including the playoffs (19th all-time). He is the only black coach to ever win a Super Bowl, and the first coach period to reach the playoffs in 10 consecutive seasons. To put a cherry on top Dungy is the only coach to lead his team to at least 12 wins for six straight seasons. A feat Lombardi, Shula, Knoll and even the hated Bill Belichick have never accomplished in their careers, and he did it with an attitude and humility that exuded every good thing you wanted in a coach.

Despite all the accolades and honors that Dungy as accumulated and rightfully deserves perhaps the thing that will live on longer than any of them is the coaching legacy he has fathered in the NFL.

Since his start in Pittsburgh as a player and a coach Dungy has mentored and developed young men into productive and admired coaches in the NFL. With Herman Edwards, Lovie Smith and young Mike Tomlin on his list of protégés, Dungy has done more than win football games, he has developed a line of even tempered, smart coaches that are not only walking through the door he has opened for them, but doing it with the same confidence and poise Dungy himself has become famous for.

Dungy has been considering retirement since his 05 Championship with the Colts and the death of his teenage son. This year it seems that his family will be together again in Tampa Bay just in time for another Super Bowl. Only from now on they will be watching the game from the living room rather than the sidelines.

Here’s the “BottomLine” sports fans…If you watched the press conference yesterday I am sure you noticed something that was pretty hard not to. Tony Dungy’s faith is the key to every success he has had in life. When team owner Jim Irsay, and President Bill Polian can each stand at a podium and speak for 15 minutes or more and rarely mention the game of football you know you are something pretty special. Even more special is the fact that Tony was not one of those coaches that needed all the filler and fluff to make him look good. His record and accomplishments on the field speak for themselves. Dungy has changed a basketball loving state into football fans one winning season and one community focused off-season at a time. If more young men emulate Coach Dungy personally and professionally as players and coaches professional sports will be better for everyone including the fans.

Thanks Coach for everything you did for the game. You will be missed.