Posted on 01/12/2009 10:13:57 AM PST by Abathar
INDIANAPOLIS -- Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy has told the Colts organization that he will step down.
6Sports' Dave Furst confirmed an earlier Foxsports.com report that Dungy told the organization he plans to retire. Dungy was saying goodbye to players and employees at the Colts complex late Monday morning, Fox Sports said.
Dungy has been considering his future with the team for more than a week. The Colts scheduled a 5 p.m. news conference to announce the decision officially.
ESPN had previously reported that Dungy met with Colts owner Jim Irsay on Sunday and gave Irsay his decision on Monday morning.
Dungy, 53, has considered retirement in each of the Colts' past seasons since the team won the Super Bowl after the 2006 season.
The coach has been contemplating his future since the Colts' season ended with a loss to the San Diego Chargers in the AFC wild card game. The team finished the season 12-4.
(Excerpt) Read more at theindychannel.com ...
"Irsay will turn to associate head coach Jim Caldwell to fill the top coaching job when Dungy leaves."
He has some big shoes to fill...
Who has the NFL pinglist?
Very sad to see Coach Dungy go. What a great person. He rebuilt Tampa and then went on to a tremendous run in Indy. I wish they could have made it farther this year as a closing act.
I’m a Pat Fan, but Dungy is as classy as they come.
Dungy Stepping Down As Colts Coach
As a Tampa Fan, I will never forget how turned a laughingstock of a franchise into a super-bowl winner....yes, I know Chucky won the superbowl but it was Dungy who laid the groundwork.......
This Seahawk fan agrees entirely.
I’ve always liked Dungy. The guy is a class act.
It was a sad day when he left the Vikes.
I think most of us wanted to see him made head coach here.
Amen. His approach to life and to his teams are a great inspiration, not only other coaches, but to any manager outside of sports as well. Godspeed Tony, all the best.
I hope Tony gets to spend more Time with his Family!
Used to be scottsays. I think Perdogg also occasionally pings it.
There’s also another thread on this with different title.
I just don’t get the Tony Dungy lovefest. In my opinion, he was a rather average head coach. Nothing special. With Peyton Manning (overrated as he is) and all those wide-receivers, a top-caliber coach like Bill Belichick or Jimmy Johnson would have more Super Bowl rings than that could fit on one hand.
No better guy in any sport, anywhere. Period.
The man is class personified.
My wish is that Tony comes to Tennessee and that he brings Payton Manning with him!
Peyton isn’t going anywhere.
I think Dungy under coaches in the post season, not unlike the former coach of my favorite team Bill Cowher, but in the regular season he’s top drawer. Managed to take perpetually pathetic and make them a contender, and turned not quite perpetual but often pathetic Indy into not only a contender but a champion. Maybe a better post season coach could have gotten more titles, but you can’t argue with the fact that neither team was any good before he showed up.
Peyton has built a new home near the Tennessee Titan Stadium - thats not an accident!
“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,” Dungy said. “I don’t know what that is right now, but we’ll see.”
Sounds like Tony could be interested in politics, and my understanding is that he is very conservative. The GOP badly needs somebody like this.
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