The University of Minnesota’s wish list of candidates for the football job probably has Tony Dungy’s name at the top. For years people close to the athletic department have whispered Dungy’s name and suggested the former Gopher quarterback would be the ideal person to lead the football program.
As coach of the Indianapolis Colts he has an annual playoff contender. Before coming to Indy, he built a great defense in Tampa Bay as head coach and later the Bucs won the Super Bowl under coach Jon Gruden. Prior to Tampa Bay, his reputation as Vikings’ defensive coordinator made him arguably the best assistant coach in franchise history.
At 51, Dungy has 11 years of head coaching experience in the NFL. He is known as a quiet leader whose charisma can take over a room. Raised in a family of educators, Dungy is admired for both his personal and professional values. His coaching resume, outlook on life and ties to Minnesota make him the easiest of candidates to wish for in the Gopher coaching search.
Dungy has made his affection for the University known. He came back here last year to help with the legislative push for the new on-campus stadium. He will be the featured speaker at the University of Minnesota Alumni Association’s annual celebration event on Tuesday, May 8 at Mariucci Arena.
Reality, however, seems to be that Dungy doesn’t consider himself a college coach after all these years in the NFL. He said as much earlier this week and in typical Dungy graciousness added he was flattered to be mentioned, according to the Star Tribune.
Did he absolutely mean what he said? His brother Linden, who lives in the metro area, and two of his friends from this area said they don’t believe Dungy is interested in the Gophers.
Linden said he hasn’t spoken to his brother since the Gopher job opened up earlier this week but he would be “surprised” if Tony expressed interest. “From my opinion they (any contacts) would not be initiated by my brother,” he said. “When I look at him at (age) 51 and being in the NFL for 26 years. …I don’t see him going in that direction (college coaching).”
Linden added that Tony has a contract with the Colts, “always has honored his contracts,” and likes his routine and what he is doing in Indianapolis. Linden said, too, that when Dungy was a Viking assistant coach the possibility of coaching the Gophers came up and his brother wasn’t interested at that time.
John Williams, a Gopher on the 1967 Big Ten championship team, played for the Los Angeles Rams when Dungy was a Pittsburgh Steeler defensive back. “I think it’s wishful thinking (Dungy as Gopher coach),” Williams said. “Minnesota is his alma mater but would he want to leave one of the better NFL jobs, take a step down and not know what he is getting into?”
Charles Sims is a former Gopher basketball player who developed a friendship with Dungy while the two were in school here in the mid-1970s. He doubts Dungy would have interest but mentioned that an extraordinary compensation package (Alabama lured Nick Saban with a reported guaranteed $32 million package) might get his friend’s attention.
“I don’t think so,” Sims said. “Why would he be (interested)? He has it made with the Colts. How much is the University willing to pay? If Saban type money, maybe.”
Dungy is originally from Jackson, Michigan and with his background and name recognition Sims thinks his close friend would be outstanding at Minnesota. “I do think Tony would be a great coach,” Sims said. “He could get (recruit) kids in Michigan and Ohio.”
Williams said coaching makes a difference, referencing a school like Boise State that doesn’t have the high school all-Americans that populate the rosters of big name college programs but yet found success against Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl. “You don’t have to get the rivals.com all-Americans,” Williams said. “That’s where the coaching comes in.”