Tony Dungy Will Be Coaching The Indianapolis Colts In 2008!

Indianapolis Colts fans, breathe easy. We didn't make it back to the Super Bowl this season, but the team announced Monday that coach Tony Dungy will return to the sideline next season.

Tony Dungy will coach at least one more season with the Indianapolis Colts, the team said Monday.

Colt Comfort

If anything, the Colts have been consistent winners under Tony Dungy -- at least 10 in each of his six seasons as coach of the Colts. A look at his resume:

Dungy's career as a head coach

	Bucs	Colts
Seasons	6	6
Division titles	1	5
Regular-season W-L	54-42	73-23
Playoff W-L	2-4	7-5
Super Bowl titles	0	1

Dungy, whose future with the team has been in doubt since the Colts lost to San Diego in the AFC divisional playoffs on Jan. 13, will then hand the reins to Indianapolis assistant head coach Jim Caldwell when Dungy decides to retire.

Actually, according to Dungy himself, he had been considering retiring for at least three years now. This was the first year, however, the public and the media were made aware of his questioning future.

"We don't have two head coaches," team owner Jim Irsay said at Monday's news conference. "Tony's going to be around as much as he's always been around."

Dungy had spent much of the last week in Tampa, Fla., talking with his wife, Lauren, before returning to Indianapolis to make the decision. He informed Irsay earlier Monday.

"Tony is committed to his family. He's committed to the franchise ... Tony does a great job of balancing that," Irsay said.

Dungy, 52, led Indianapolis to the Super Bowl title last season. He is signed with the Colts through the 2009 season, thanks to a three-year, $15 million extension signed in Sept. 2005.

Dungy is 127-65 in 12 seasons as an NFL head coach. He coached six seasons in Tampa Bay before coming to Indianapolis, where he has been two a pair of AFC title games and has won five straight AFC South titles.

IF Tony Dungy Retires, Jim Caldwell Would Be The New Head Coach

And I hope that's a big IF...but its true. Assistant head coach Jim Caldwell would replace Tony Dungy if the Indianapolis Colts coach retires, team owner Jim Irsay said Thursday night.

Irsay hopes Dungy will return and expects to speak to him this weekend, the owner said at a party celebrating an exhibition of the Jack Kerouac "On The Road" manuscript he owns at The New York Public Library.

Irsay said he might be able to make accommodations for Dungy such as allowing him to attend his son's high school football games in Florida on Friday nights. But he has no doubt that Dungy's commitment will be "100 percent" if he continues coaching.

The Colts, the Super Bowl champions last year, were 13-3 in the regular season before falling 28-24 to San Diego last week in their playoff opener.

Caldwell has been an assistant to Dungy the last seven years -- one in Tampa Bay and the last six with the Colts, where he has coached quarterback Peyton Manning. Caldwell filled in for Dungy for one game in 2005 following the death of Dungy's 18-year-old son, James.

Caldwell spent more than 20 years in college football, and his only head coaching experience came at Wake Forest. He spent eight seasons with the Demon Deacons and led them to a bowl game in 1999.