Super Bowl XLIV: Rookie Head Coach Jim Caldwell Aims for History

In his first year on the job, Indianapolis Colts head coach Jim Caldwell has the chance to join an exclusive fraternity on Sunday at Super Bowl XLIV in Miami.

Following the retirement of Tony Dungy at the end of the 2008 season, it was his longtime assistant that took over as the head coach of the Colts.

Caldwell, 55, could very well be the third coach in the Super Bowl era to lift the Vince Lombardi Trophy in his rookie season.

The Colts began the ’09 season with 14 consecutive wins, but it was not until he decided to sit key starters in the second half of their week 17 encounter with the New York Jets, that caused a stir from fans and the media. The Colts lost 29-15 and Caldwell suffered his first loss as a head coach.

Following a loss to Buffalo to end the regular season, Indianapolis went on to beat the Baltimore Ravens and that same Jets team, securing passage to Miami.

The last time Indianapolis took a postseason trip to South Florida was three seasons ago, when Dungy made it to Super Bowl XLI. They ended up beating the Chicago Bears 29-17 and earned their first championship since moving from Baltimore.

Caldwell was the quarterback coach and assistant head coach the night illustrious quarterback Peyton Manning won the big game and MVP honors.

For Caldwell, taking over the head coaching position came with questions as to how he would succeed Dungy.

“All I had to do is sort of make certain that I was keeping my promise,” Caldwell told the USA Today. “I wanted to keep them hungry, fresh and make certain that they’re well prepared.”

The longtime assistant has done just as Indianapolis is finally back at the Super Bowl after a brief hiatus. The team woke up from a sluggish first half in the AFC Championship Game and avoided a let down. 
 
The Beloit, Wisconsin native, first joined Dungy in 2001 when Dungy was the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Caldwell was named quarterback coach.

The next year he followed Dungy to the RCA Dome and spent seven seasons as an assistant coach.

The two rookie head coaches to win the Super Bowl are Don McCafferty, head coach of the Baltimore Colts and George Seifert, head coach for the San Francisco 49ers.

In the 1970 season McCafferty led the Colts to a 16-13 win in Super Bowl V, the first rookie head coach to win a Super Bowl.

The Colts won the AFC East that season and McCafferty recorded an 11-2-1 regular season record.

Seifert was the second rookie head coach to do so when his team annihilated the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXIV 55-10.

Seifert was a part of the 49ers since 1980 when he was hired as the defensive backs coach. After three seasons he was promoted to defensive coordinator and then finally took over for legendary head man Bill Walsh.

His team finished the year 14-2 and won the NFC West.

Both Caldwell and Seifert were longtime assistant coaches with their predecessors before getting the head coaching position.

What the three coaches have in common is that each of the three teams lost only two games in the regular season and won their respective division title.

If this coincidence and statistics hold true it will be Caldwell that lifts the Lombardi Trophy come Sunday.

“He’s just done an outstanding job,” Dungy told The USA Today. “I don’t think he gets the credit he deserves. People don’t realize how tough it is to win 14, 15, 16 games.

“We had a good thing going on and he built on it.”