Dungy's ready for the Hall, win or lose

By JOHN ROMANO
Published February 2, 2007

MIAMI — Super Bowl XLI does not matter. Not for the purposes of this column.

Peyton Manning could be splendid, and it wouldn’t make a difference. Rex Grossman could throw for five touchdowns, and it wouldn’t change a thing. 

No matter the result on Sunday, this truth remains: Tony Dungy belongs in the Hall of Fame.

As arguments go, this one is arriving early. Hall of Fame voters are gathering this morning to discuss 17 candidates. 

Dungy, of course, is not among them.

He is still an active coach, and he still has some blank lines on his application.  When he retires, you might suggest,  debate his merits.

Which is a fine idea, except for this: It’s not necessary.

Dungy already has had a Hall of Fame career. Just as you would say Brett Favre and Bill Belichick have established their Hall credentials, so too has the coach of the Indianapolis Colts.It’s just not as obvious with Dungy.

He doesn’t have a fistful of records like Favre. And he doesn’t have Belichick’s collection of Super Bowl rings.No, the argument for Dungy has to be presented much like an attorney building a case in court.

There is no smoking gun to point at, just a preponderance of evidence in his favor.

Witnesses would testify, critics would be badgered. And a jury would go from skeptical to sympathetic with everyone citing a different turning point.

Let production be your opening argument. Dungy has won more games (122) than Hall of Famers John Madden (112), Vince Lombardi (105) or Bill Walsh (102). You want efficiency? Dungy’s winning percentage (.635) is better than Hall of Famers Sid Gillman (.542), Hank Stram (.576) and Weeb Ewbank (.508).

You say Dungy has been an underachiever in the postseason? His playoff record (8-8) is better than Hall of Famers George Allen (2-7), Bud Grant (10-12) and Paul Brown (4-8).

He had the highest career winning percentage of any coach in the league at the end of 2006, and that includes Belichick, Bill Parcells and Joe Gibbs. He has been a head coach for 11 seasons, and made the playoffs nine times.

And that includes a turnaround in Tampa Bay that was a few loaves shy of a miracle.

In other words, there is nothing about Dungy’s record that should preclude him from serious Hall of Fame consideration.

But that’s just the numerical evidence. There is also the matter of Dungy’s influence in the NFL.

Some coaches were enshrined because they were seen as innovators. Gillman, for instance, is considered the godfather of the passing game. In the AFL, and later in the NFL, Gillman produced high-scoring offenses that others would emulate.

Which sort of sounds like Dungy’s Tampa 2 defense. Now Dungy will tell you his defensive scheme was not original.

That he borrowed heavily from former Steelers coach Chuck Noll and defensive coordinator Bud Carson.

But the truth is, Dungy molded a defense that was largely unseen in the NFL in the 1990s, and within a few years most teams had some version of it in their defensive packages.

Not enough? How about his coaching legacy. Rod Marinelli was a college coach before Dungy hired him. Lovie Smith and Mike Tomlin, too. Herm Edwards was a scout when Dungy brought him to Tampa Bay. None of these guys was roaming NFL sidelines and yet, under Dungy’s tutelage, all would soon become head coaches.

And then there is the matter of Dungy’s race. Art Shell and Denny Green may have come before him, but no African-American head coach has had as much impact in the league as Dungy. He is the reason Smith, Tomlin and Edwards have offices today, and the reason the NFL can brag about its diversity.

I’ve talked informally to some voters and the feeling seems to be that Dungy will be a serious candidate, but that he still has some ground to gain. Winning Super Bowl XLI, for instance, would go a long way.

I understand that thinking, I just don’t agree with it. A Super Bowl title should be a part of the equation, but it doesn’t need to be a necessity. Not when considered as a part of the greater picture.

In the end, a Hall of Fame vote should come down to a gut feeling. Is this guy a worthy candidate? Did he distinguish himself in some way?

When viewed in that sense, I don’t even think it’s close.

Dungy has been one of the league’s greatest commodities for more than two decades. He has won consistently, and he has won with dignity.

He has not jumped from job to job like some other coaching greats. He has not diminished himself with words or deeds like too many others. Dungy has been, simply, one of the best of his era.

The league would somehow be lesser without him.

The Hall of Fame would be, too.

John Romano can be reached at (727) 893-8811.

[Last modified February 2, 2007, 21:26:11]