Tony Dungy cemented his NFL legacy Sunday night when the Colts beat the Bears in the Super Bowl. He can now live on forever through NFL Films as the first African-American coach to win the Super Bowl.
What is most impressive about Dungy is his consistency of character through the low and high times of his career and life.
Dungy was a fast-rising coaching star with the Pittsburgh Steelers staff in the 1980's. But after the team declined, Dungy was going to be demoted by mentor Chuck Noll, so he left for Kansas City instead. Eventually, Dungy moved on to Minnesota and was passed over several times before getting the Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coaching job in 1996. Despite building the Bucs into a playoff team, Dungy was fired. The very next season, Jon Gruden won the championship for Tampa Bay with the players Dungy had nurtured.
Even after going to Indianapolis, Dungy became known for the Colts regular season success and playoff flame-outs. In the midst of that pattern in 2005, Dungy captured the nation's attention with the grace and faith he showed after the suicide of his son, James. It was his extraordinary way of handling personal tragedy that transcended his record on the field.
Then came this season's AFC Championship victory over New England. The biggest comeback in championship game history. Over the "genius" Bill Belichick. Dungy's steady calm that had been talk-radio fodder in the past was now part of the Colts' success. In the Super Bowl, the Bears became the first team to return the opening kickoff for a touchdown. Dungy never blinked and the Colts came back to win. Everybody always thought Tony Dungy was a great guy. Now, no one can deny that he is a great coach. A Super Bowl champion.
True to his class, Dungy mentioned others who should have gotten the opportunity before him but didn't. That list included former Packers assistants Sherm Lewis and Emmitt Thomas. Lewis' case is particularly heartbreaking. His window passed. He never got a shot. The excuse was always that he didn't call the plays under Mike Holmgren. Andy Reid didn't either. When the Packers were winning two straight NFC titles in 1996 and 1997, Lewis was judged to be just an innocent bystander even though he was the team's offensive coordinator. Looking back, that was a travesty.
Two of the coaches who were fired this NFL off-season should be proud of their part in paving the way for Dungy. Art Shell was the first African-American coach of the modern era and Dennis Green was also a pioneer who gave Dungy an opportunity to shine as defensive coordinator of the Minnesota Vikings in the early 1990s.
I have a hunch that years from now, Tony Dungy will be remembered as a very large figure in NFL history. Maybe even larger than we realize now.
Dennis Krause joined OnMilwaukee.com as a contributor on June 16, 2006. He is a two-time Wisconsin Sportscaster of the Year and a regional Emmy-award winner. Dennis has been the color analyst on home games for the Milwaukee Bucks Radio Network for the last 10 years. He has also been involved with the Green Bay Packers Radio Network for 16 years and is currently the host of the "Packers Game Day" pre-game show.
Dennis started his broadcasting career as a radio air personality in the Fox Valley and Milwaukee.
He spent three years as a sportscaster at WMBD radio and television in Peoria, Illinois before joining WTMJ-TV in Milwaukee in 1987 as a weekend sports anchor. Dennis spent 16 years at Channel 4, serving as its Sports Director and 5 and 6 pm sports anchor from 1994-2003.
Dennis grew up in Hartford, Wisconsin and attended UW-Oshkosh. He lives in Thiensville with his wife and two children. He serves as the Community Resource Director for the Mequon-Thiensville School District.
