2008 Woodie Awards
Racial Barriers Broken in Professional Sports
After one of the country's largest sporting events, two African-Americans are written into sports history, highlighting the long journey for racial equality in professional sports
NICK DECARO Staff Writer
Issue date: 2/6/07 Section: Sports
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Okay, so it is safe to say that we can now put the "African-American head coaches can't be successful in the NFL" clich_ to bed. Super Bowl XLI features two of the best coaches in the NFL today. News flash! They are both African-American, and one of them is going to become the first African-American head coach to win a Super Bowl in its 41 year history.
While both coaches are making their Super Bowl de-buts, it is hardly the first time they have achieved success. Actually, Tony Dungy has been one of the most success-ful head coaches in his 11 years at the helm with Tampa Bay and Indianapolis.
In fact, he is the win-ningest head coach since 1999 with an impressive 97-41 re-cord in that span. Yes-that's better than ANY other coach including the likes of: Bill Parcels, Joe Gibbs, Mike Hol-mgren, Bill Cower and even Bill Belichick.
Dungy lifted Tampa Bay out of the obscurity and fail-ure that is all the franchise had ever known and led them to the playoffs four times in six years before jumping to Indianapolis in 2002.
He has successfully guid-ed the Colts to the playoffs in each of his five seasons there, and into their first Su-per Bowl since a guy named Johnny Unitas lead the Colts to their only Super Bowl win 36 years ago, when they were still in Baltimore.
While it can never hurt to have Peyton Manning, Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne on your team, Dungy has undertaken the task of resurrecting one of the NFL's worst defenses in recent years.
Though they are not a top ten caliber defense yet, they have really stepped it up when it mattered most in the playoffs-a testament to Dungy and his unique "Tam-pa 2" defense that he devised when he was the head coach in Tampa Bay with defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin and then linebackers coach Lovie Smith.
Small world, huh?
Smith is in his third year as head coach of the Chicago Bears, highlighted by one of the league's top defenses, captained by All-Pro line-backer Brian Urlacher and perhaps the best example of a rollercoaster quarterback in the NFL, Rex Grossman.
While both coaches are making their Super Bowl de-buts, it is hardly the first time they have achieved success. Actually, Tony Dungy has been one of the most success-ful head coaches in his 11 years at the helm with Tampa Bay and Indianapolis.
In fact, he is the win-ningest head coach since 1999 with an impressive 97-41 re-cord in that span. Yes-that's better than ANY other coach including the likes of: Bill Parcels, Joe Gibbs, Mike Hol-mgren, Bill Cower and even Bill Belichick.
Dungy lifted Tampa Bay out of the obscurity and fail-ure that is all the franchise had ever known and led them to the playoffs four times in six years before jumping to Indianapolis in 2002.
He has successfully guid-ed the Colts to the playoffs in each of his five seasons there, and into their first Su-per Bowl since a guy named Johnny Unitas lead the Colts to their only Super Bowl win 36 years ago, when they were still in Baltimore.
While it can never hurt to have Peyton Manning, Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne on your team, Dungy has undertaken the task of resurrecting one of the NFL's worst defenses in recent years.
Though they are not a top ten caliber defense yet, they have really stepped it up when it mattered most in the playoffs-a testament to Dungy and his unique "Tam-pa 2" defense that he devised when he was the head coach in Tampa Bay with defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin and then linebackers coach Lovie Smith.
Small world, huh?
Smith is in his third year as head coach of the Chicago Bears, highlighted by one of the league's top defenses, captained by All-Pro line-backer Brian Urlacher and perhaps the best example of a rollercoaster quarterback in the NFL, Rex Grossman.
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