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Dungy's new mission is an old one: rebuild defense

The Colts are counting on coach to revive D as he did with Vikes and Bucs.

©Associated Press
January 24, 2002

[AP photo] Tony Dungy smiles as he tries on a Indianapolis Colts hat after he was introduced as the head coach of the Colts.

INDIANAPOLIS -- On his first day on the job, Tony Dungy promised to rebuild the Colts defense and lead the team to the playoffs and eventually the Super Bowl.

Dungy was introduced as coach Wednesday, one day after signing a five-year, $13-million contract.

He pledged to concentrate on improving a defense that allowed a league-high 486 points this season.

"Hopefully, it's pretty simple," Dungy said of his defensive strategy. "It's not what you do, but how you do it. You have to get guys to play hard down in and down out. It's attitude."

The 46-year-old Dungy is the Colts' sixth coach in 11 seasons. He replaces Jim Mora, who was fired Jan. 8 after going 6-10 this season and 32-34 in four seasons.

Dungy, fired by Tampa Bay on Jan. 14 after going 54-42 and leading the Bucs to four playoff appearances in six seasons, has a track record of quick successes.

In his first season as Vikings defensive coordinator, Dungy's defense led the league in interceptions. The next season, Minnesota was ranked No. 1 in defense.

In 1996, Tampa Bay's defense, ranked 27th the previous season, finished 11th. In each of the next five seasons, the defense ranked among the top 10.

That success is what attracted the Colts to Dungy.

"When Tony Dungy and I got together last week, the thing that struck me was his accent on fundamentals," Colts president Bill Polian said. "Tony Dungy is the right man at the right time with the right approach to take us the rest of the way."

Dungy has crafted menacing defenses that produce turnovers. He hopes to do the same for a Colts defense that slid from 15th in 1999 to 21st in 2000 and to 29th this season.

The Colts are eager to learn.

"Me, personally, I'm excited about playing in a defense that gets up the field, that tries to create turnovers," defensive end Chukie Nwokorie said. "I've not had that since I was in college and I'm looking forward to letting it loose and playing."

Dungy assumes a team that had six first-time starters last season and is likely to include more new starters next season.

Dungy has been here before, but he thinks the Colts can make it work.

"When I went to Tampa, we had some guys that were pretty good players already, that people didn't know about," he said. "I'm hoping we have the same thing here."

Dungy has something in Indianapolis he never possessed with the Buccaneers: a high-powered offense that includes Peyton Manning, Edgerrin James and Marvin Harrison.

Dungy does not intend to change much on an offense that ranked second in the league last season, despite not having James for more than half its games. He might even keep some of the offensive coaches, including coordinator Tom Moore, whom he tried to hire twice while with Tampa Bay.

Keeping Moore could keep the Colts happy.

"I don't think any final decisions have been made, but it sounds like Tom will be here and I hope that's the case," Manning said. "I don't think we're that far away. ... I think he's a good fit for our team."

Dungy's hiring gives the NFL two black head coaches, the other being the Jets' Herman Edwards, an assistant to Dungy before last season.

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