Dungy is near deal with Colts

INDIANAPOLIS -- Tony Dungy didn't need much time to get a new job.

Eight days after being fired in Tampa Bay, Dungy reached an agreement in principle to coach the Indianapolis Colts and a formal introduction is expected today.

Colts owner Jim Irsay said the deal is for five years and will pay Dungy about $13 million.

"He was by far the best candidate out there," Irsay said. "Tony is a proven winner and an ideal type leader who we want to represent the horseshoe."

Colts president Bill Polian said in a statement that he and Dungy's agent, Ray Anderson, were still working on the deal's final details Tuesday afternoon. Both sides, though, said they did not expect any snags.

Polian was not available to take questions and a phone message left on Dungy's home answering machine in Tampa, Fla., was not immediately returned. Dungy had returned home after being in Mobile, Ala., for the Senior Bowl earlier Tuesday, Anderson said.

Irsay said the Colts had engaged in a bidding war for Dungy with the Carolina Panthers, with whom Dungy also interviewed last week.

"We weren't going to be outbid for Tony Dungy. He was going to be a Colt for sure," Irsay said.

Dungy was the most successful coach in Buccaneers history, going 54-42 in six seasons and leading the team to the playoffs four times. The Bucs were 9-8 this season, including a loss to Philadelphia in the wild-card round.

Gruden won't be back

Coach Jon Gruden will not sign a new contract with the Raiders and plans to leave the team after next season, his agent told the San Francisco Chronicle.

Gruden won't coach the team after his five-year contract expires at the end of the 2002 season, agent Bob LaMonte says.

Gruden is in the lower half of the NFL coaching pay scale, with an annual salary of $1.2 million.

Oakland was 4-12 in 1997, the year before Gruden took over. Gruden has a 38-26 record in four years with the Raiders.

Summerall, Madden splitting

Pat Summerall and John Madden are parting ways after 21 years in which they became the standard by which NFL announcing teams are judged.

Summerall announced he will leave his longtime NFL broadcasting partner after they call the Super Bowl for Fox Sports.

But the 71-year-old former New York Giants star kicker, who's been associated with the NFL for 50 years as a player or announcer, said he won't rule out doing more TV work.

Asked if he's set on retiring, Summerall said: "Absolutely not. I still want to do games."

Official: No change in replay

The head of the NFL's officiating department wants to keep the much-debated pass-fumble rule that that helped New England beat Oakland in Saturday's playoff game.

"This wasn't an unusual occurrence," Mike Pereira said Tuesday. "This happens several times a year. It's not like this is a fluke that happens once every 10 years. I don't think we should change it now."

--From wire services