Dungy Quotes & Sayings

Lovie Smith and I are not only the first two African-Americans but Christian coaches showing that you can win doing it the Lord's way and we're more proud of that. — Tony Dungy

My dad, who was a teacher, used to tell me that a teacher's goal should be for every one of their students to get an A. If that's your goal every day - to make every student or player learn - then it doesn't matter if you won last year or didn't win. When next year's team shows up, I try to help every player become as good as they can be. — Tony Dungy

Long-term success requires faith-faith that your efforts to plan and execute the process will lead to the desired outcome. — Tony Dungy

If we have trouble hearing Him, He will faithfully work in our lives until we are pointed in the direction He wants us to go. — Tony Dungy

I was gratified by the way our players had approached each game throughout the season. They had remained focused on the task at hand, playing hard and smart week after week. We didn't have any turmoil or distractions. We went about our business as usual. To do that in a setting that often was anything but usual is a testament to the character of our players and coaches. Our process worked; we simply picked a bad year to only be very good. — Tony Dungy

Football is a vocation and an opportunity for ministry. But it's not a life. — Tony Dungy

People look at me and see a calm, cool guy on the sidelines and I want them to know that my Christian faith affects my coaching and everything I do. — Tony Dungy

The further I get away from coaching, the more I know I made the right decision. You almost forget how wonderful family life is. — Tony Dungy

I need to treat everybody fairly, but fair doesn't always mean equal. — Tony Dungy

When I was15 years old, I couldn't look at the NFL and look on TV and say, 'Boy, there's a head coach, African American. That's something I'd like to do.' — Tony Dungy

The first step toward creating an improved future is developing the ability to envision it. VISION will ignite the fire of passion that fuels our commitment to do WHATEVER IT TAKES to achieve excellence. Only VISION allows us to transform dreams of greatness into the reality of achievement through human action. VISION has no boundaries and knows no limits. Our VISION is what we become in life. — Tony Dungy

We are all role models to someone in this world, and we can all have an impact - for good. — Tony Dungy

The book is actually called 'A Mentor Leader, a Different Way to Lead.' It really talks about my experience in the way I tried lead our football team, things that I learned from, basically, the coaches that I played for and my parents about leadership. And it is a little bit different, counter to maybe what society says about great leaders. — Tony Dungy

And one game, as we know, can cost you a lot. — Tony Dungy

You're born with some things inside you that will allow you to lead, but I think you have to take the bull by the horns. You have to want that leadership position, and then there are things you can do to develop that. — Tony Dungy

If we lose sight of people, we lose sight of the very purpose of leadership. — Tony Dungy

I've said all along that God is in control. — Tony Dungy

That's the difference between the NCAA and the NFL right now. They've got to step up and say, 'We're going to do the right thing. We're going to hire qualified people. We're going to hire the best man for the job regardless of what boosters or anyone else has to say.' — Tony Dungy

Integrity is what you do when no one is watching; its doing the right thing all the time, even when it may work to your disadvantage. — Tony Dungy

I love coaching football, and winning a Super Bowl was a goal I've had for a long time. But it has never been my purpose in life. My purpose in life is simply to glorify God. We have to be careful that we don't let the pursuit of our life's goals, no matter how important they seem, cause us to lose sight of our purpose. I coach football. But the good I can do to glorify God along the way is my real purpose. — Tony Dungy

You should never be defined by what you do, by the things you have; you've got to define yourself by who you are and who you impact and how you impact people. And that's the thing I try to get across to my players. — Tony Dungy

Stubbornness is a virtue if you are right. — Tony Dungy

We have a number of difficulties facing our nation, but I believe fatherlessness is right at the top of the list. — Tony Dungy

When you're in a situation, you can complain about it, you can feel sorry for yourself, you can do a lot of things. But how are you gonna make the situation better? — Tony Dungy

Engage, educate, equip, encourage, empower, energize, and elevate. Those are the methods for maximizing the potential of any individual, team, organization, or institution for ultimate success and significance. Those are the methods of a mentor leader. — Tony Dungy

At the end of the day, the only people a One Voice doctrine silences are those who should be the most loyal. — Tony Dungy

We have so many young men, especially, who are growing up without their dads. We have to fill that void. We have to do a better job helping young people see what it means to be a man, what it means to be a woman. And then, somehow, we have to put that family structure back together. — Tony Dungy

I think there are times when I believe God welcomes the circus into our lives to give us an opportunity to show that there's another way to live and respond to things. — Tony Dungy

You'll not find the life God intended for you in relationships seeking immediate and personal gratification - even the — Tony Dungy

That's the key to defending any quarterback: to make them throw before they want to throw. — Tony Dungy

If someone needs help, I can offer advice. I'm not always right and people don't always listen. — Tony Dungy

God's definition of success is really one of significance-the significant difference our lives can make in the lives of others. The significance doesn't show up in won-loss records, long resumes, or the trophies gathering dust on our mantels. It's found in the hearts and lives of those we've come across who are in some way better because of the way we lived. — Tony Dungy

They were unwillingly to give 100 percent if they didn't personally think it was important. What you don't understand is the champions know it's all important. — Tony Dungy

Be intentional and choose to envision a life of significance, possibility, and impact. — Tony Dungy

The best solution for falling just short of the goal is to focus on the fundamentals but perform them better. — Tony Dungy

Our goal was to win, to win a Super Bowl, but also to win in the right way, to be role models to our community, to represent Indianapolis, the state of Indiana and the National Football League. — Tony Dungy

If you want to make a difference in the lives of the people you lead, you must be willing to walk alongside them, to lift and encourage them, to share moments of understanding with them, and to spend time with them, not just shout down at them from on high. — Tony Dungy

God allows us to feel pain for a reason: to protect us. — Tony Dungy

I needed to do my current job well, keep preparing, and wait on God's timing. I needed to trust His leadership rather than try to force an outcome I wanted. — Tony Dungy

I think I've got a responsibility to be home a little bit more, be available to my family a little bit more and do some things to help make our country better. I don't know what that is right now, but we'll see. — Tony Dungy

No excuses. No explanations. — Tony Dungy

I do not think being a coordinator is a requirement, but it does give you some advantages. You get used to working with half the team and you go through the game-planning and decision-making processes. — Tony Dungy

I've always tried to coach people the way I would like to be coached; positively and encouragingly rather than with criticism and fear ... I've tried to be as fair as possible. — Tony Dungy

Most of the books I remember from my childhood were Dr. Seuss-type books. They were fun to read, but there wasn't a real story behind them. — Tony Dungy

It's the journey that matters. Learning is more important than the test. Practice well, and the games will take care of themselves. — Tony Dungy

I think I can always look back and say my mom and dad would have done this or suggested that in a particular situation. I just really feel blessed to have had them as parents. — Tony Dungy

Football was really my least favorite sport and the last sport that I ended up picking up as a kid. My dad started me off with baseball, which most kids did at that time. I really enjoyed basketball. That was my favorite sport. — Tony Dungy

I was able to look at football as something that God was allowing me to do, not something that should define me. I couldn't take my identity from this sport. — Tony Dungy

To win those big games you're going to have to complete some third-down passes, you're going to have to be able to get some explosive games in the passing game. — Tony Dungy

It is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. Hebrews 11:6 — Tony Dungy

If you're a leader, people's lives should be better because of the influence you've had along the way. — Tony Dungy

The best leaders are following Christ. That's the best leader you can follow. — Tony Dungy

You may not win the Super Bowl. Your kids may not go on to be doctors and lawyers and everything may not go perfectly. That doesn't mean it was a bad plan or the wrong thing. It's just like a football season. Everything's not going to go perfect. — Tony Dungy

A good leader gets people to follow him because they want to, not because he makes them. — Tony Dungy

Pain prompts us to change behavior that is destructive to ourselves or to others. Pain can be a highly effective instructor. — Tony Dungy

Nothing does more to lubricate the rough spots than a good dose of encouragement. — Tony Dungy

Success is uncommon and not to be enjoyed by the common man. I'm looking for uncommon people because we want to be successful, not average. — Tony Dungy

I never wanted our players to think the Super Bowl was the ultimate. I always talk about 'Yes, we're going to win, but what are we going to do as we're winning? What are we going to do after we win?' Winning the Super Bowl is not the destination. It's not an end point. It's what you do from here. — Tony Dungy

The truth is that most people have a better chance to be uncommon by effort than by natural gifts. Anyone could give that effort in his or her chosen endeavor, but the typical person doesn't, choosing to do only enough to get by. — Tony Dungy

Did you know that nearly one in three children live apart from their biological dads? Those kids are two to three times more likely to grow up in poverty, to suffer in school, and to have health and behavioral problems. — Tony Dungy

My heart's toward youth ministry, but I don't know. I never would have thought I would have written a book. And God kind of directed that. So we'll see what the next is. — Tony Dungy

At some point in life's journey, professionally and personally, we have to be able to trust our preparation. — Tony Dungy

I am thankful that in my current role I can mentor other coaches. I interact directly with seventeen coaches on my staff but I'm also trying to be an example to others outside the organization. I want to prove that it's possible to win or lose while maintaining a calm dignity and respect toward your players, officials, and the opposition. My hope is that my profession can have an impact on countless youth who are looking to their coaches for guidance on sportsmanship, how effort pays off, and the other life lessons that come from competing. — Tony Dungy

The first thing you have to do is make sure you're still wanted back. I never take that for granted any more. — Tony Dungy

I learned from Chuck Noll in Pittsburgh that speed and explosiveness on defense is the way to build a team. Both are difficult for your opponent to assimilate in practice and then in games it is even harder to match. — Tony Dungy

I just don't think you pass on a great quarterback if you have the opportunity. If need be, you can trade it away. — Tony Dungy

Kingdoms are clay: our dungy earth alike
Feeds beast as man. — William Shakespeare

Change isn't always bad; we should always be learning and improving. But the change I was seeing involved principles, not procedures. — Tony Dungy

We have a whole generation of men who don't understand how much they mean to their kids. — Tony Dungy

There are certain bridges that are not worth crossing, no matter what others think. Loyalty and relationships are important. — Tony Dungy

I am a firm believer that the Lord sometimes has to short-circuit even our best plans for our benefit. — Tony Dungy

Other people were looking at my decision in terms of "retirement." I guess that's the right term - retirement - from the NFL, anyway, the only professional career I have ever known. However, I don't think that God ever wants us to retire from relevance or significance. We faced a twofold question: what is the best setting for me to continue to do God's work and how did this fit in with what was best for my family? — Tony Dungy

Balance provides the chance for longevity. You can be a champion at work and at home. — Tony Dungy

It's definitely harder being a dad than a coach. — Tony Dungy

And if God has given you a lot of ability, I believe you should be held to a higher level of expectation. — Tony Dungy

The game has changed since the '70s as more coaches have looked at ways to make it tougher on defenses. But I'm glad my career turned out the way it did - I would have never gotten a chance to learn the defensive side of the ball. — Tony Dungy

I don't have the strength or wisdom to get through a single day without guidance and grace from God. — Tony Dungy

I always liked to be fairly simple because you could get more players ready to play quickly. If you lose players to free agency, injuries, etc., it is easier to get young players ready to play in a less complex system. — Tony Dungy

What's important is not the uniform or the number, and it's not what team you play for or whether anyone else sees your value; it's who you are on the inside. And when you're in Christ, that's never going to change. — Tony Dungy

All Pro Dad is an organization that started down in Tampa in 1997. And it was just a group of us who felt like we weren't doing as good a job as our fathers did in connecting with kids and being there and being involved in their lives, working and coaching and spending all the time we had to. We just felt badly. — Tony Dungy

Integrity, the choice between what's convenient and what's right. — Tony Dungy

We need somebody to give us a chance. — Tony Dungy

Once a player joins our team, our priority is to teach him, not worry about the player we didn't select. — Tony Dungy

What's important is not the accolades and memories of success but the way you respond when opportunities are denied. — Tony Dungy

Nothing is more deflating to morale than to have a poor outcome pinned on someone who doesn't deserve it. It lacks integrity and overvalues the outcome at the expense of the people as well as the process. — Tony Dungy

People have to understand how important it is for kids to be nurtured by their mom and dad and get the great role modeling when they are young. — Tony Dungy

I can't very well preach unity and tell the guys we're all in this together and everyone's important, then cut a guy because we might improve by one percent if we bring in someone else. — Tony Dungy

Winning would create greater potential for change than talk alone. — Tony Dungy

Don't shed any tears for me. I got to live a dream most people don't get to live. — Tony Dungy

My parents had a strong impact on who I am today. My mother and dad both encouraged us to think about the long term - where you wanted to be - to think about education, to think about what is right and what is wrong, and to do things that will help you in the long run. — Tony Dungy

If you want to be an athlete, then getting good grades, going to college, and developing your intellectual skills are important. — Tony Dungy

To bring myself back to a perspective of all that I am in Christ - not according to the world. I need it to remind myself that the world doesn't define me. I am defined by my relationship with Jesus Christ. — Tony Dungy

I know when I was an assistant coach and I started interviewing for head coaching jobs, I actually lost out on many jobs, several jobs, and the complaint that I got was, 'Well, he doesn't fit the mold of a head coach. He doesn't look the part. He's not gonna jump up and down. He's not going to scream.' — Tony Dungy

When I was younger I only read sports books. I loved the biographies that told how athletes developed. When I got into coaching, I did start to read more instructional books, but I was always more interested in the people behind the ideas. — Tony Dungy

When Jim Irsay called me five years ago, he told me, 'I want you to be our coach and help us win the Super Bowl.' He told me, 'We are going win it the right way. We are going to win it with great guys; win it with class and dignity. We are going to win it in a way that will make Indianapolis proud.' — Tony Dungy

God's loving plan to save sinners started with Jesus' death and resurrection. The influence God calls you to have for His Kingdom is very simple: just tell the world what He did for you. — Tony Dungy

I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11 — Tony Dungy

The reason my kids like McDonald's is that they always know what they're going to get. It's not gourmet food, but the french fries they order in Indianapolis are just like the french fries they order in Tampa. Wherever they get McDonald's fries, they know it will be the same. That's what McDonald's does. — Tony Dungy

It's easy to lose sight of the ultimate goal when you're in the trenches. — Tony Dungy

I have yet to hear God's audible voice, although I have often felt led by God in more subtle ways. — Tony Dungy