HOF Coach Tony Dungy Reacts to Colts Owner Jim Irsay’s Tragic Death

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Paul White | Last updated May 22, 2025 1:15 PM ET

The NFL community was shook Wednesday evening when it was announced that legendary Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay passed away.

He was only 65 at the time of his passing and while that’s not young, there was no indication that he may be departed soon.

Irsay dedicated over three quarters of his life to the city of Indianapolis and his tenure as owner over the past 28 years were the most successful in the team’s history.

They have the sixth most wins in the NFL over that span and have a Super Bowl trophy to show for it.

Success, especially in sports, is usually a collective effort, but there is one man who was the catalyst for the shift in the Colts’ perception around the league.

Indianapolis selected Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning with the first pick in the 1998 NFL draft and his first few years were rocky to say the least.

The team was inconsistent, fluctuating between contenders and league bottom feeders, and Manning followed their lead.

It wasn’t until Irsay hired Tony Dungy as the head coach in 2002 that the team became perennial Super Bowl contenders and Manning posted consistently elite numbers.

Dungy was only there for six years, but the Colts won a Super Bowl in that time frame and set the standard for Indianapolis football that still exists to this day.

Like many others, Irsay had a profound impact on Dungy.

The Hall of Fame coach took to X/Twitter on Thursday morning to send his condolences.

When I got the news last night that Jim Irsay had passed away in his sleep it was devastating to me. The Bible says in many places that tomorrow is not promised to us but I wasn’t ready for this.
Jim was one of the kindest, most compassionate people I have ever known. He was… pic.twitter.com/Gf7qNXCTPD
— Tony Dungy (@TonyDungy) May 22, 2025