What Bears DC Alan Williams learned from Tony Dungy originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
Coaching trees are serious business in the NFL. It’s how schematic philosophies are passed down from generation to generation. It’s also how young coaches learn how to lead a team. So it’s no surprise that when any new coach accepts a new job, one of the first things he does is thank the mentors who helped him reach new career milestones. For new Bears defensive coordinator Alan Williams, one of those men is former Colts and Buccaneers head coach Tony Dungy.
“He’s the one I got into the NFL with, big time mentor to me,” Alan Williams said in a recent interview on the Bears YouTube channel. “In every situation, when something comes up一 challenging or good situation一 I always think about how coach Dungy would handle the situation.”
Dungy was also a major mentor for former Bears head coach Lovie Smith. He gave both Smith and Williams their first opportunities as coaches at…