Pro Football Hall of Famer and former Indianapolis Colts head coach Tony Dungy revealed his regret after his former boss, Jim Irsay, died at the age of 65 on Wednesday (May 21).
Dungy, 69, who coached the Colts from 2002 to 2008 before retiring, said he was invited by the Colts owner to speak to the rookies but plane issues stopped them from having one final meeting together during an appearance on Pro Football Talk Live on Thursday (May 22).
Dungy also shared a post on his social media accounts Wednesday night honoring Irsay shortly after news of his death was made public.
"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 awesome to me and my family. He was a blessing to his players and staff. But more than that he had a heart for people and for the city of Indianapolis. He loved people and did so many things for others—more things than you could imagine. I miss him already. He was a special man and I couldn’t have worked for a better owner," Dungy wrote, along with a photo of himself and his wife, Lauren Harris, alongside Irsay after the Colts' Super Bowl XLI victory.
The Colts announced Irsay's death in an official statement on Wednesday.
"We are devastated to announce our beloved Owner & CEO, Jim Irsay, passed away peacefully in his sleep this afternoon," the statement reads. "Jim's dedication and passion for the Indianapolis Colts in addition to his generosity, commitment to the community, and most importantly, his love for his family were unsurpassed. Our deepest sympathies go to his daughters, Carlie Irsay-Gordon, Casey Foyt, Kalen Jackson and his entire family as we grieve with them."
Irsay's official cause of death has not yet been publicly revealed. The Colts owner had previously suffered a serious health scare in December 2023 when he was found on his bathroom floor with his skin had turned blue by responding Carmel Police Department officers during what was described as a suspected "overdose" in documents obtained by FOX 59, though he publicly denied it being an overdose.
“It wasn’t an overdose,’’ Irsay told FOX 59 last April 22. “I don’t know why when you have your name in the paper in the past, people throw that out there quickly. I don’t pay attention to it all that much, but I don’t think it’s fair.’’
Irsay initially took over the Colts' day-to-day operations after his father, Robert, suffered a stroke in 1995 and won a legal battle with his stepmother, Nancy, to retain ownership of the franchise following his father's death in 1997. Robert Irsay initially purchased the Los Angeles Rams and swapped the then-Baltimore Colts with the late Carroll Rosenbloom, at which point Jim worked as a ballboy during Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Johnny Unitas' playing career.
Jim Irsay became the NFL's youngest general manager at the age of 25 following the team's relocation from Baltimore to Indianapolis in 1984. The Colts have won one Super Bowl and two AFC titles, both of which came during Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning's 13 seasons at quarterback, since Irsay took over as team owner.