Tony Dungy: Championship Character

Fans remember championships, scores, and victories. People remember character, honor, and sincerity. Coaches should prioritize people.

On Monday, Indianapolis Colts Coach Tony Dungy retired. “We just felt this was the right time,” said Dungy. “Don't shed any tears for me. I got to live a dream most people don't get to live. I think I've got a responsibility to be home a little bit more, be available to my family a little bit more and do some things to help make our country better. I don't know what that is right now, but we'll see.”

On Tuesday, Associate Head Coach Jim Caldwell supplanted him. “He's very tough to follow,” said Caldwell. “But I'm not competing with Tony. I want to build on the success we have had and move forward. I am my own person and I suspect that I may be a bit more emotional, at times, than him. I worked for him for eight years, and I never heard him raise his voice one time, so I might break that record.”

During his career, Dungy amassed a 148-79 record. He won Super Bowl XLI. He accrued six division titles. He secured eleven playoff appearances. In Tampa Bay, he racked a 56-46 record. In Indianapolis, he registered a 92-33 record.

New England Patriots Coach Bill Belichick praised Dungy. “People often say that teams reflect their head coach, and that can be said of Tony Dungy's teams, which are consistent winners every single year,” said Belichick. “Tony has been such a fixture in this league that his absence will take some getting used to.”

When coaches retire, recounting their statistics is obligatory. With that stated, we should never confuse legacy and statistics. Dungy’s statistics are a championship, division titles, and playoff appearances. Herman Edwards’ words are a legacy. “His biggest legacy will be all the people around the country who he's inspired to be better and to deal with some of life's tragedies in a manner that gives people a lot of strength,” said Edwards.