NBC tries new approach to Sunday Night Football with ex-coach Dungy

By Michael Hiestand, USA TODAY
NBC's NFL Sunday night studio show this season will feature a former coach for the first time.

NBC announced Wednesday that Tony Dungy, who coached teams to the NFL playoffs in each of the last 10 years, will join the show's cast. Also joining the show: Rodney Harrison, retiring from the New England Patriots after playing 15 NFL seasons.


RODNEY HARRISON TOO: Joins Dungy on NBC's NFL show

NBC Sports Chairman Dick Ebersol said that he realized not having an ex-coach on the show was a "glaring weakness."

Ebersol added that he's seen other weaknesses in the show that he hopes to correct this season. "We failed to clear out enough time to discuss football," he said. "And we've been too locked in on showing highlights for every game." Part of the pregame show's "new agenda," he said, would also include focusing on Sunday night games NBC was airing.

Ebersol says he has "no fear" about whether Dungy and Harrison, who were included in NBC's Super Bowl coverage last season, would be sufficiently "freewheeling" with their opinions." Harrison, on a conference call, suggested he won't be afraid to criticize players on-air: "Sometimes, you have to be brutally honest."

Other changes coming to NBC's coverage will include moving Cris Collinsworth from the studio show to game coverage — replacing the retired John Madden — and dropping studio analyst Jerome Bettis. For the studio show this season, Tiki Barber will report from game sites around the NFL.

Dungy said part of his motivation in taking the NBC job is that he's been assured it will only require his time on Saturdays and Sundays.

Wednesday, Dungy offered his first opinions as a sportscaster. On whether he'd want to sign Michael Vick if he were still coaching: "He deserves a second chance and could be very inspiring to young people who make a mistake. … I would definitely give him an opportunity if I needed a quarterback. I wouldn't be afraid of his past."

Article Courtesy of USA Today