In Black America; NFL Head Coach Tony Dungy on SuperBowl XXX

Thank you. From the Longhorn Radio Network, the University of Texas at Austin, this is in Black America. Well, we, you know, basically look at Monday as the day to just review what we did the previous game and look at the tape and our guys will run and just try to keep their conditioning level. The coaching staff is starting to prepare for the next team that we're going to play.

Two is the players off day and then Wednesday they come in, they'll come in at 8 o'clock in the morning, get a scouting report on the team that we're going to play. And then we have a full day of meetings, practice and so forth and they're here pretty much 8 to 5 on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday getting ready for the game that we're going to play on Sunday. Head coach Tony Dungee of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After 25 years as a national football league assistant coach, Dungee was named the Buccaneer 6 Head Coach on January 22, 1996 when he signed a 6 year contract. He joined Tampa Bay after serving as Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator from 1992 to 1995, helping the Vikings defense lead the NFL with 95 interceptions during his four years with the team. Prior to the Vikings, he spent two years as defensive backs coach for the Kansas City Chief. Also, he spent eight years as an assistant coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Dungee is one of three African American head coaches in the national football league.

I'm John L. Hanson Jr. and welcome to another edition of In Black America. On this week's program, NFL head coach Tony Dungee in Black America. You have to have a strong personnel department. We have a group of scouts and personnel people that keep tabs on everybody from the guys that are in different leagues, Canadian League, the European League, to guys that are really not involved with any team. We have people that just keep track of that and a group that scouts just the colleges. So you have to have all of that to know it's much too big of a job just for the coach to be able to keep up with everyone. We do a lot of background check on people before we would ever draft them. We talk to their college coaches, their high school coaches, their guidance counselors, try to talk to some of their professors, people that have had them in situation not just on the field, but in class and off the field and around the world. Because it is a big part of it. You want those first class people in your organization and that's probably more important to us than athletic ability. In 1981 at age 25, Dungee became the national football league's youngest assistant coach when he was hired by the Pittsburgh Steelers. He then became the league's youngest coordinator at age 28.

More on October 6, 1955 in Jackson, Michigan, he attended Parkside High School there. After graduation, he attended the University of Minnesota where he starred as quarterback from 1973 to 1976. He finished his career at Minnesota as the school's all-time leader in attempts, completion, passing yards, and touchdowns. In 1977, he signed a free aging contract with the Steelers. Dungee went on to play for the 49ers and the New York football giants. In 1980, he began his coaching career with the University of Minnesota. Recently in Black America spoke with Coach Dungee. It was a small, you know, kind of automotive town, everything centered around that and it was a good experience for me because I really grew up with a group of guys that were interested in sports and we kind of had the same guys from the sixth grade through us in the year of high school to play together and ran together. It was a lot of fun. We had a good time and you learn how to work hard, but you know, learn how to play with each other and that was the biggest thing I think I got out of growing up there.

But a lot of distractions while you're in high school versus really you had today. Not really. You had the typical things, you know, growing up in the 70s. But as I say, my group was really focused in on playing ball and fortunately for me, both of my parents were teachers. So I had to get that education going to be able to play football and basketball. And for me, it was pretty easy to stay on course. You were a quarterback at the University of Minnesota. Did you receive a scholarship? I did. And I ended up playing basketball and football there. But the main reason I went in Minnesota had a history of playing black quarterbacks at that time when it wasn't really accepted. And so that impressed me and I went there and really enjoyed my four years there. Was it difficult being a Division I quarterback and actually handling the football part and the academic part of college? It was tough. It was a different experience and you had a lot of really stress on your time. You had to be good time manager.

And that was the one thing that I really learned from my college experience because you did have a lot of demands and playing quarterback at the major college level in the fall and the spring. It was a little bit of a burden but I was able to do a lot of my heavy loads in the winter and it worked out okay. Was it difficult playing in Minnesota outdoors in the winter or growing up in Jackson, Michigan, just like at home? No, it was a little tougher but basically we didn't have many real cold weather games. Playing football wasn't a problem but that winter quarter, going to school when it was below zero, that became tough. You signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers as a free agent in 1977. Tell us how that experience was. Well, it was a tremendous for me getting to play with some of the Hall of Fame guys that were on that Steeler team of the 70s, Franco Harris and Lin Swan and Bradshaw, Mel Blunt, guys like that. It was really fantastic. I actually went there because one of the guys that coached me at Minnesota had taken the job as a receiver coach there and recommended me to coach Noel.

It was really the best thing that happened to me. I got to learn a lot about professional football to get in with a great organization and learn a lot about life growing up. You left the Pittsburgh Steelers and accepted your first coaching job back at the University of Minnesota. How was that experience going back to your alma mater? It was fun. There was still a few players there that I knew but basically got me a chance to get started in coaching, get my feet wet and I only stayed there one year before going back to the Steelers but there's always something special about going back to your alma mater coaching. Was the relationship you had with the players and the other coaching staff made you a little bit more credible since you did have NFL playing experience? I think that helped. The guys that played for me realized that I had been in a good organization, been with a winning team and I think that helped them really take me seriously when I was only, I think I was 24 years old when I started so I wasn't the typical age of most coaches. I received your first NFL coaching job with the Steelers becoming the youngest assistant coach hired. What was that experience like?

Well, that was a little difficult at the beginning because most of the guys that I coached at that time, I had played with and most of them were older than me and had been there before I had gotten there but because there was such good individuals, such classy guys, it didn't really create too much of a problem. And I knew the system very well from being there and playing there so it was a win-win situation and really turned out well for me. Are the preparations similar from collegiate to professional? The professional preparation is a lot more intense. You have much more time to devote its guys' profession. They're there all the time. They don't have to worry about being in class, being in school, other things. You pretty much keep them there eight hours a day and the stakes are a lot higher so you have a little more intensity in your preparation now on the professional level. Give us an idea of what was as like your 15 years as an assistant coach. Well, the first nine years I was in Pittsburgh and working in the system that I knew very well, worked for coach Noah who was a real straight lace guy and we didn't have any surprises at all.

You pretty much knew how he was going to run the ship. I was familiar with Pittsburgh and it was a very comfortable situation. I left there and went three years in Kansas City working for Marty Shottenheimer and that was good for me to see a different way of doing things. Very detailed oriented coach and learning a different style of defense from him. And then I worked four years for Dennis Green which was very, very enjoyable for me up in Minnesota. I was back in an area that I knew very well and working with coach Green. He just put a different slant on things. It was the first offensive head coach that I had worked for and I saw a different way to do things and coach Green I think really got me prepared to be a head coach. Give us your perspective on accepting the head coaching job at Tampa Bay. It was a situation where I came down and met with the general manager and with the ownership and I really felt comfortable with the direction that they were going.

I felt like they wanted me here and some of my values and things that I felt were important. We're going to fit in here and they had a young organization. We had a lot of young players and I felt like we were going to just really improve and hit it off well and that's pretty much what happened. Are the players today similar to the players that you play with? I think they're similar as people. Everyone wants to come in and do well. The different thing now is we have so much more exposure to the players. You've got all the different networks, TV and radio that get involved and you see these guys on the internet and things like that. There's just so much more exposure and the money is so much bigger right now than it was when I played. That becomes different but as far as their desires and how they play and wanting to do well, they're very similar to 20 years ago. What is your basic philosophy that you tell players once training camp start or at the end of a season?

Well, my philosophy is that you have to go by production and you've got to get the job done. That's what we're all about. We have certain rules and ways that we want to do things and we want to be first class citizens. But the bottom line comes down to doing your job. So as an individual player, you've got to get prepared to do that job and that's what we try to do with our guys. Everybody's different so you can't necessarily treat everyone the same but you want to be fair and it comes down to them getting the job done. We hear about the long hours that coaches and the assistant coaches have to put in. How important is the support of your family knowing that you're going to be away from home a better part of each day for several months? It is definitely important that you have that family support especially during the season. You spend so much time at work, it's very important but you know your family has to know that they're still the most important thing even though you're not spending a lot of time at home. It helps that my wife and I have been married 17 years now, she knows the routine and she's able to do a lot of things with the kids and kind of fill in the gap when I'm not there.

I've got to try to make up for that in the off season and try to be around more so when we're not playing. Does your kids have an advantage having dad as an NFL coach? I think it can be an advantage at times and they get some preferential treatment some of the time because of their dad but it's tough on them. They know that I'm not around as much as maybe a lot of dads are and that's a negative but it balances out. They do get some nice things, they get to come to all the games free. Over the years there have been a lot of talk from our end in the media and to somewhat extent from African-American head coaches on an NFL of the difficulties that they're finding head coaching positions. Any comments? There is something that's just a little bit difficult right now and you look at the last 20 or 21 high rings and only with Ray Rhodes moving from Philadelphia to Green Bay. So it seems like we're not making a whole lot of progress but hopefully that can get knocked down as we just continue to get more coaches in the ranks and I don't know what the final answer is going to be but it does get frustrating at times.

Your particular take on instant replay? I'm not a big instant replay fan, I prefer to let the referees handle the officiating but I think we're going to have replay. I think the majority of the people want it so we're kind of focused in on trying to get the best system that we can that'll do the best job once we do get it in. You're in the all season right now the NFL draft is approaching quite rapidly. Who are some of the players that you all are looking at? Well there are some good players out there. I think it's especially a good year for quarterbacks. There's going to be four or five guys that'll go real high. There's a couple of phenomenal defensive backs champ Bailey from Georgia and Chris McAllister from Arizona. Obviously Ricky Williams, a big play running back. So it kind of just depends on what you need but I think if you're looking for offensive help this is really a good year for a lot of linemen. As I say four or five good quarterbacks and a couple of big play receivers as well.

Any players you all resigned? We were trying to basically keep our nucleus and we were in pretty good shape. We didn't have many guys out there in free agency. So we feel pretty good about keeping our young talent here with us. You made the play out of year before last one so successful last season. What went wrong in your particular mind? I think we didn't really realize how tough it was to stay near the top and we've got to make that commitment that we're not going to kind of self destruct not let people sneak up on us that type of thing. We've just got to play with a little more consistency. We were up one week down the next week and that's what we've got to work on. You're in a pretty tough division, the central division of NFC. What are your main, who are your main rivals? Green Bay or Minnesota? Well, it is a tough division. Green Bay had always been the thorn in our side the first two years we're here. But then Minnesota came on and had the great year this year. So we've got to really take it as it goes. Detroit is always tough with Barry Sanders.

Chicago has a new coaching staff. So we feel like we've got the toughest division in football. We got our work cut out for us. Any particular insights you have been a former coach at Minnesota? No, we've split with them every year that I've been here, but they're really rolling well offensively now. And Denny does a great job in getting that offense going. So I don't have any secrets as to how to stop them. And we just know that we have to be ready to play whenever we go against them. How important is for your athletes and I guess professional athletes in general to stay in shape 12 months out of the year? It really, that's where the game has changed. All of these guys now do that. They have the personal trainers. They have the good workout programs. I think because the money has gotten so big, the guys want to play 10, 11, 12 years. It becomes a big thing to them. So yeah, the conditioning level is much higher than it was even 10 years ago. How important is it to you as a head coach in an African American giving back to the community and wish the Tampa Bay Buccaneers serve and play in? It's a big part of it. As I said, I came up in Pittsburgh in the Steelers system and that's one of the things Mr. Rooney, our owner, always stressed that

you were part of the community, not just the player on the team. And I've tried to get that across to our guys. And fortunately, we have a lot of guys that believe that way they're real active in the Tampa Bay area. Many of them live here and donate their time to charities and especially children's groups. I think that's very important because especially our African American young men, they need that leadership in those role models and our guys are doing a good job of that. How important for you to express to young children and collegiate athletes that may be listening to this program, the importance of getting that college in high school education considering that an NFL or any professional career is three to maybe six years at best? Yeah, it's such a long shot even making it to the NFL or to the NBA. It just doesn't happen for very many people and even if you do make it, it's not your whole life. You're going to be finished when you're 30 years old for the most part. So you've got to be ready to live the rest of your life and the education is so important.

I think we're doing a great job of emphasizing that and having guys realize that you can't even play in college unless you meet those academic requirements. So hopefully that message gets across because the education is so very important. Having done this for so many years, how do you maintain that edge? You're always looking for a way to compete and you want to be the best you want to be on top and I think that's the thing, the motivation to do well every year. It's just like you said, two years ago we made the playoffs last year we didn't and you can't be satisfied with what you did three or four years ago. You want to have that same desire every year and that's what makes it fun. Give us a coach perception of Warnsat. Warns a great player. He's got all the skills that you need on the field. He's a very big man, he's explosive, he's quick and he's strong and above everything else he's a very smart player. He knows the game, he knows how to play and with all of the ingredients combined that makes him a pro bowl type player.

Is it an added excitement on playing on Monday night football? It is, you know that everyone watches looking that no one else is playing that day. It's not like there's three games going on or whatever. Anybody who's watching football is watching you and that's what I think brings out the best in our players. As an NFL coach, how do you all keep up with the multitude of players that are out there? Oh, you have to have a strong personnel department. We have a group of scouts and personnel people that keep tabs on everybody from the guys that are in different leaves, Canadian League, the European League, to guys that are really not involved with any team. We have people that just keep track of that and a group that scouts just the colleges. So you have to have all of that to know it's much too big of a job just for the coach to be able to keep up with everyone. Besides an athlete's athletic ability, do you all look at the individual as a person? Very making no decisions.

We do a lot of background check on people before we would ever draft them. We talk to their college coaches, their high school coaches, their guidance counselors, try to talk to some of their professors, people that have had them in situations not just on the field, but in class and off the field and around the community because it is a big part of it. But you want those first class people in your organization and that's probably more important to us than athletic ability. Working on your third year, how has the reception been for you and your family in Tampa Bay? It's been great. Tampa has even embraced us with open arms and it's been a wonderful situation. We really enjoy living here and hopefully it will go on for a long time. What do you like to do to get your mind off a football? Or do you ever get your mind off a football? Oh yeah, very much so I really enjoy the outdoors. I enjoy fishing and Tampa is a great place to go fishing. Fresh water fishing and we have the deep sea fishing so it's a good place for me.

When does the season start up and earners when the players are back or does it never ends? It really never ends but April 1st is when our off season conditioning program basically starts. So we encourage our guys to take February and March off and then we really hit it hot and heavy starting the 1st of April. Give us an idea of what a week is like during the season. Well we basically look at Monday as the day to just review what we did the previous game and look at the tape and our guys will run and just try to keep their conditioning level. The coaching staff is starting to prepare for the next team that we're going to play. Tuesday is the player's off day and then Wednesday they come in. They'll come in at 8 o'clock in the morning. Get a scouting report on the team that we're going to play and then we have a full day of meetings, practice and so forth. And they're here pretty much 8 to 5 on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday getting ready for the game that we're going to play on Sunday.

We see the sidelines during the game, we see chaos, we see people walking up and down. How involved are you in that process during the game and the information that you're receiving from your coaches on the field and the ones up in the booth? Well I'm trying to pull everything together and trying to listen to everyone we've got offensive coaches, defensive coaches, special teams coaches and it is kind of a hectic process. You learn how to filter through all that information and try to keep your wits about you but that's the toughest part I would say about making adjustment to head coaches you've got to hear from so many people. Tony Dungee head coach Tampa Bay Buckeneers. On January 31st 1999 the Denver Broncos of the AFC played the Atlanta Falcons of the NFC for the Vince Lombardi Trophy and Super Bowl 33. Denver defeated Atlanta 34 to 19th. The halftime program at the Super Bowl has become as big as a game itself and this year was no different. Motown Recording legend Stevie Wonder and pop singer Gloria Estefan hit line the entertainment is Stravaganza.

In Black America takes you backstage to the news conference announcing the halftime lineup. The Super Bowl halftime show is the single most viewed live entertainment event in the world and so it demands world class talent. After bringing Michael Jackson to Pasadena in 1993 and Anna Ross as Phoenix's son devil stadium in 96. This year radio city knew we had to come up with something even hotter. We asked ourselves what kind of music fans are the NFL fans that they're passionate about their music. So we set out to go out and find the best. We found the hottest we found the hippest and I think you'll see that we have succeeded. Stevie Wonder hardly needs an introduction. In a career that's spent four decades he's won 19 Grammy Awards including Lifetime Achievement Awards for his songs. Superstition living in the city you are the sunshine of my life. He's won an Oscar for I just called to say I love you which became Motown's all time biggest selling signal internationally. Stevie also spearheaded the successful campaign to recognize Dr. Martin Luther King's birthday as a national holiday.

We couldn't even think of coming to Miami without having to performance by the hometown Queen Gloria Estefan. Her career has earned six gold records has seen an incredible 25 hits reach top 10 status including Konga 123 and get on your feet. Gloria was the first Latin performing artist to achieve pop crossover stardom and she is currently continuing her street with her latest album Gloria which has been nominated for five Grammy Awards. Finally big bad voodoo daddy is widely recognized as having helped fuel the national craze for swing music beginning when they appeared in 1996 in a movie swingers. With hopping songs such as Mr. Pinstright suit suit and daddy and go daddy oh that members say their music has a 40 sound with a 90s twist. Now as if these three acts weren't enough to ignite the pro player stadium at halftime we surrounded our star talent with thousands of cast members fireworks special effects and a couple super surprises which I can't tell you about the degree. Ladies and gentlemen is now my privilege introduced to you the featured performers when you join me in welcoming big bad voodoo daddy's.

How are you I'm Scotty Mars with big bad voodoo daddy and as you can imagine we're pretty excited to be here we're also really excited to be part of the progressive insurance half time Super Bowl. Show also even more radio city musical and even more than that we're going to be performing with Stevie Wonder and Gloria Estefan. I can't say much more than that but that's pretty great thanks. And now let's bring on Miami's own Gloria Estefan. Thank you so much for being here.

I'm thrilled to be a part of this my second Super Bowl. I think that's unprecedented and a great thrill to have it here in my hometown and won't be freezing like it was a Minneapolis when I did this last but I hope that everybody has a wonderful time we certainly enjoy everybody being in the city or hometown and I'm thrilled. What can I tell you a big bad voodoo daddy Stevie Wonder of course with a fantastic fantastic lineup and I'm thrilled to be a part of it so thank you very much and welcome. And now ladies and gentlemen Stevie Wonder I'm going to win. Well I'd like to say that I'm indeed very happy to be a part of this thirty third Super Bowl celebration reminds me of the Grammy night and that we always want everybody to win particularly when we're being nominated.

But I do wish all the players a lot of success a lot of luck and very honored to be here with Gloria and big bad voodoo daddy. And it's just a great thing. I'll be watching the game. Motown Recording legend Stevie Wonder if you have questions, comments or suggestions asked your future in black America programs write us also let us know what radio station you heard is over. The views and opinions expressed on this program are not necessarily those of this station or of the University of Texas at Austin until we have the opportunity again for IBA technical producer David Alvarez. I'm John L. Hanson Jr. Thank you for joining us today and please join us again next week.

Cassette copies of this program are available and may be purchased by writing in black America cassettes communication building B UT Austin Austin Texas 78712. That's in black America cassettes communication building B UT Austin Austin Texas 78712. From the University of Texas at Austin, this is the Longhorn Radio Network. I'm John L. Hanson Jr. Join me this week on in black America. You are always looking for a way to compete and you want to be the best you want to be on top and I think that's the thing the motivation to do well every year. It's just like you said two years ago we made the playoffs last year we didn't.

Tony Dungee head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this week on in black America.