Tony Dungy and Lovie Smith make NFL – and black – history
Of the St. Louis American
St. Louis Rams running back Marshall Faulk says two black head coaches in the Super Bowl could create a wave of new African-American coaching prospects in all sports in the near future.
“Just think of the African-American youths that might not want to play football, but want to coach. They’ll see two black coaches in the Super Bowl and think ‘I can do that,’” Faulk said.
“This game will create a foundation. It will be something that other coaching careers are built upon.”
Tony Dungy of the Indianapolis Colts and Lovie Smith of the Chicago Bears both have that “can-do” attitude, and it has taken them to the height of professional football coaching success.
Only one man and his team can win, but hundreds of millions of people across the globe will witness a triumph. Unlike many other black athletes and coaches who run from the responsibility of their race and dodge questions on the subject, Dungy and Smith acknowledge the importance of their respective wins last Sunday.
A trick sports trivia question a decade or so from now will be “Who was the first African-American head coach to lead his team to the Super Bowl?”
The answer is Smith. But only by a few hours. Dungy’s Indianapolis Colts won one of the greatest contests in AFC Championship Game history to earn him his place in NFL history.
When Super Bowl XLI kicks off at 5:15 p.m. Sunday Feb. 4, Smith and Dungy will face each other from opposing sidelines.
What has not occurred in the 41-year history of the Super Bowl will happen twice.
Both coaches know of the significance, regardless of those in the media that say their race should not be an emphasis.
“It means a lot,” Dungy.
“I’m very proud of being an African American. I’m very proud of Lovie.”
For Smith, the chance to make history while taking on one of his closest friends is a “perfect” scenario.
“We have to play someone and, in my perfect world, the Colts are that team,” Smith said.
“Of course, our players knew about it and they wanted to help us make history. So I feel blessed to be in that position.
“I’ll feel even better to be the first black coach to hold up the world championship trophy.”
Dungy was longtime assistant coach with the Pittsburgh Steelers and worked his way up to defensive coordinator. Ironically, the Steelers hired that franchise’s first black head coach, Mike Tomlin, on Monday – a day after Dungy reached the Super Bowl.
Dungy’s name would annually come up for head coach openings, and he would always be passed over. Dungy watched as some coaches were hired, fired and then re-hired by another team. He patiently waited.
He finally got his chance with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and turned them into an NFC power. Had it not been for “The Catch” by Rickey Proehl in the Edward Jones Domes in the 1999 NFC Championship game, Dungy would have reached the Super Bowl. But disappointing seasons followed the 11-6 setback and Dungy was dismissed as coach in Tampa.
He then watched the team he built win the Super Bowl a year after his departure. But he was in Indianapolis where, after several failures, he finally reached the Super Bowl.
Dungy acknowledged that he felt additional pressure to succeed because of his race.
“You know you’re being judged on wins and losses, so there’s pressure to win in your job, anyway. I think I felt – and I’m sure Denny Green and Art Shell did, too – that. It wasn’t that if we lost, other guys wouldn’t get a chance, but if we won, more guys would get chances faster,” Dungy said.
“So, you felt pressure to win – I did, anyway – so that other guys who deserved it possibly would get that shot a little quicker.”
Smith spent more time in the college ranks, coaching at Tulsa, Wisconsin and Ohio State before moving to the pros with Dungy in Tampa Bay.
He helped transform St. Louis’ shabby defense into a force that carried the team to the Super Bowl in February 2002.
In 2004, one of the NFL’s most historic teams – the Chicago Bears – selected him to be head coach. He was the franchise’s first black coach and is now the second to lead the Bears to the Super Bowl. Mike Ditka led the team to the world championship following the 1985 season.
Again like Dungy, Smith realizes the importance of the black coaches who set the stage for his success.
“A lot of great coaches have come before me and they gave me an opportunity,” Smith said.
“I hope I can be as inspirational to others.”
American Sports Editor Earl Austin Jr. and columnist Mike Claiborne comment on the Super Bowl XLI coaches in Sports on Page B1.
