In Style: Dungy wins Super Bowl his way
The significance of this Super Bowl to me was the success of Tony Dungy. His victory should show, without question, that any kind of coach could be successful. This has nothing to do with Dungy's race, but everything to do with his style.
We have been told throughout the years about fiery coaches who put the fear of God in their players. That has often been used as a prototype for new hires. Vince Lombardi has the trophy named after him, while Bill Parcells, with his rather abrasive style, is seen as a genius.
When a team is struggling with a player-friendly coach, some in the media write dreamily about what an intense, in-your-face coach could accomplish.
Bill Cowher, Jon Gruden and others have won Super Bowls with this. Gruden, in fact, replaced Dungy when the Buccaneers decided the latter couldn't win the big one. It looked like a masterstroke when the Bucs won the Super Bowl in 2002.
But Dungy has proved he could win it all, and without promising Colts' management anything other than to be himself. Unlike many coaches, where swear words are perfect descriptions for anything, Dungy refrains from such language.
He rarely raises his voice, and he's generally beloved by all who play for him. It's a style Lombardi and Cowher might scoff at, but by winning a title, Dungy has silenced critics of him (which were rapidly diminishing anyway).
This is not to suggest one coach's personality is better than another. It just means coaches come in all different forms.
And all different kinds can win.