Colts now await Dungy's decision

By: JEFF RABJOHNS - For the North County Times | Sunday, January 13, 2008 10:09 PM PST ∞

INDIANAPOLIS ---- The Chargers ended the Indianapolis Colts' tenure in the RCA Dome on Sunday. Now the wait begins to see if they ended Tony Dungy's coaching career.

Dungy said previously that he wouldn't begin considering his future with the team until after the season. He reiterated that position Sunday after the Chargers ended his 12th season as an NFL head coach with a 28-24 victory.

Dungy, 52, who nearly retired after last season's Super Bowl victory, has a contract through 2009. He said Sunday's loss won't affect his decision.

"I will sit down with my wife and talk with (Colts owner) Jim (Irsay), and we will come to a conclusion," Dungy said. "I think we all are disappointed now, and we are looking forward to next year and improving things."

Dungy has won at least 10 games in each of his six years with the Colts. The former Tampa Bay Buccaneers' coach is 136-74 in his career, including a 9-9 mark in the playoffs.

Speculation that this would be Dungy's final season increased when it was reported last week that his son, Eric, a high school sophomore, left an exclusive Indianapolis private school to enroll at a school in Florida. The Dungy family still owns a home in the Tampa area.

Irsay said he wants Dungy to return next season ---- when the Colts will move into Lucas Oil Stadium, a retractable roof facility ---- and is willing to make concessions if Dungy wants to spend more time in Florida.

"I think he knows if he needs to be down in Tampa some in the offseason taking care of his family and the schooling situation that we can work around that," Irsay said. "We have a veteran coaching staff and (team president) Bill Polian's staff.

"It's still obviously a big commitment if he's going to be here and be the head coach. But at the same time, anything that can make it easier for him and have him come back and forth in the offseason, that's possible."

The Colts players seemed unsure of what to expect. Some were optimistic Dungy would return. Others sounded less certain.

"He hasn't really said anything about it," safety Bob Sanders said. "He hasn't come to us and talked to us about it. I'm pretty sure there are some things going on. We'll see."

Said safety Antoine Bethea: "Coach Dungy is a good man, a good coach. We'd love to play for him longer, but at the same time, he has a family. He has things he wants to do as well, so you have to respect the decision he makes."