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Tony Dungy Elected To Pro Football Hall Of Fame
- Updated: February 6, 2016
Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Indianapolis Colts head coach Tony Dungy was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2016, it was announced Saturday in San Francisco.
“Congratulations to Tony Dungy on his very well-deserved selection into the Pro Football Hall of Fame,” said Buccaneers Co-Chairman Bryan Glazer. “We are thankful to Tony for all that he did to establish a winning culture during his time with us and his valuable contributions to the Tampa Bay community. We look forward to celebrating his induction later this year.”
Named the sixth head coach in franchise history on January 22, 1996, Dungy helped build the Buccaneers into perennial playoff contenders – leading the team to the postseason in four of his six seasons at the helm. In his second season in Tampa Bay, Dungy guided the team to its first playoff berth in 15 seasons, and the second playoff victory in team history, beating the Detroit Lions, 20-10, in the Wild Card round. Two seasons later, Dungy helped lead the team to a then-team record 11 wins and an NFC Central title, its first in 18 seasons. Dungy’s 54 wins are the second-most in franchise history and his .563 winning percentage is the best of any coach in team history.
Under Dungy’s guidance, the Buccaneers defense flourished, finishing in the top 10 from 1997-2001, including three straight top five finishes (1997-99). Dungy’s defenses also were in the top 10 in fewest points allowed, every season he coached the Buccaneers. During the span of his six seasons as the team’s head coach, the Buccaneers allowed the fewest yards per game and points per game in the NFL.
Dungy also helped many Buccaneers record individual success, highlighted by defensive tackle Warren Sapp’s 1999 NFL Defensive Player of the Year award. Under Dungy, 14 Buccaneers different players made it to the Pro Bowl, totaling 39 appearances. Dungy also helped seven Tampa Bay players earn All-Pro Honors, totaling 22 selections.
Following his time with Tampa, Dungy went on to coach the Indianapolis Colts (2002-08), helping lead the team to a victory in Super Bowl XLI. He became the first African-American head coach to win a Super Bowl.
While with Tampa Bay, Dungy was very active in the community, working with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Athletes in Action. In 1997, Dungy launched Mentors for Life, a community outreach program that provided tickets to Buccaneers home games to local youths. Dungy worked with numerous other organizations in the Bay Area, including Family First, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Boys & Girls Clubs, the Prison Crusade Ministry and foster parenting organizations. He continued his charitable work while in Indianapolis and is still today very active, working as the national spokesman for the fatherhood program All Pro Dad.
