Tony Dungy Tree has some roots that make it bigger than you think

We all know the names; Lovie Smith, Herm Edwards, and Rod Marinelli. Certainly, these are very good people, great assistant coaches with the Bucs, who all went on to get Head Coaching opportunities years before Dungy himself got in the same time frame. But really, none of these guys set the world of fire. Marinelli unfortunately will be remembered as the only winless coach in a season along with John McKay. Herm Edwards built up a good reputation only to take a job with KC and ruin it. Lovie Smith is close to being ousted in Chicago soon, although he at least made a Super Bowl appearance. But doing some closer examining of how Tony Dungy was hired, and how the Bucs rebuilt themselves in the mid-nineties, revealed a few names that, today at least, ring some bells too. On the day Dungy was hired, the St. Pete Times columnist Rick Stroud printed a column of probable Bucs assistant coaches. The List is a virtual whos who of future NFL coaches. Offensive Coordinator: Tom Moore– While Moore never became a head coach, he is mostly known as being the architect of the Indianapolis Colts potent offense with Peyton Manning at the helm. Who knows how different the Tampa Bay Bucs would have been if Moore had been choosen as Offensive Coordinator instead of Mike Shula? Although it has been said Shula ran the offense exactly the way Dungy wanted it, that the problem instead was Trent Dilfer. Moore’s history with Dungy is extensive, as he helped recruit Dungy to the University of Minnesota where Dungy was a quarterback (thats right..quarterback; remember back in the 70s, few african-americans were considered quarterback material), and helped sign Dungy as a free agent with the Steelers. Special Teams/Tight Ends– Mike Tice- Tice as we know would get a chance to coach the Minnesota Vikings, but he was 36 when Dungy became Bucs master, and was the tight end on the Vikings where Dungy was defensive coordinator. Defensive Coordinator- Jim Haslett– Jim was the linebackers coach for the New Orleans

Saints, and he worked under the Saints Defensive Coordinator named Monte Kiffin. Kiffin had worked with Dungy before in 1992-94 as linebackers coach under Dungy. One wonders how history would have been if Haslett were chosen as DC instead of Kiffin? Of course we know Haslett would eventually become HC of the Saints and coach against our Bucs. How? Thank “Playoffs??” Jim Mora. He allowed Monte Kiffin to leave the Saints and promoted Haslett to DC. Haslett would eventually replace Mora, and then one day face off against Mora’s son, and Dungy, in the same division! Confused? Its all part of history! Defensive Backs- John Fox- Fox was the defensive coordinator at Oakland at the time, but he coached defensive backs at Pittsburgh towards the end of Dungys tenure there. Jon Fox we know as Carolina Panther’s head coach who is still striving to  beat our favorite team each season! Of course we know that these men had other histories instead of the ones Stroud painted for them, but it was interesting to see this list of well knowns all had some kind of connection to Dungy in order to cause a reporter to assemble pieces of the puzzle together like that. Herman Edwards would become DB coach instead of Fox, Clyde Christensen would become TE coach and eventual OC, while Joe Marciano would become Special Teams coach instead of Tice.