The Indianapolis Colts today announced the creation of the Tony Dungy Diversity Fellowship, which will afford diverse and talented football coaching candidates the opportunity to gain valuable experience as they progress in their careers.
The program will provide the Colts with access to talented coaches while also fostering and expanding the team's diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Qualified candidates will be evaluated and interviewed by a selection committee composed of Dungy, the Irsay family, General Manager Chris Ballard, Head Coach Frank Reich and other members of the Colts coaching staff and football operations team.
As a part of the program, the Colts will hire a Dungy Fellow for the offense and the defense.
"We're humbled and honored that Tony Dungy's trailblazing accomplishments are also a part of our rich Colts history, but none of us can afford to rest on our laurels when it comes to advancing fairness and opportunity in the NFL's coaching ranks," said Jim Irsay, Colts CEO & Owner. "That's why the Colts are so proud to create this fellowship in Tony's honor that will help level the playing field for those who want to coach, teach and lead."
Dungy is the winningest head coach in Colts history and became the first Black head coach to win a Super Bowl after leading Indianapolis to a victory over the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XLI. With the Colts, Dungy finished with 10 or more wins and made the playoffs in every season. He guided the Colts to a previous NFL record for the most regular season wins in a decade with 115 from 2000-09. Dungy was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2016 and is a member of the Colts Ring of Honor.
"I am thrilled that the Colts are seeking to help build diversity and inclusion in NFL coaching by launching this Diversity Fellowship coaching program," Dungy said. "It's a tremendous honor for me to be identified with the program. I applaud the Irsay family and the organization for taking this proactive step, and I hope it encourages other teams to look for ways to promote equal opportunities in the coaching ranks."
Candidates interested in applying for the fellowship should visit: Colts.com/TonyDungyDiversityFellowship.
The team also will continue to fill positions through the NFL's Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship, which provides coaches the opportunity to utilize training camps, offseason workout programs and minicamps to further their careers.
