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Reflections
Caldwell has no bitterness about Wellman's decision to fire him as the football coach at Wake Forest
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Jim Caldwell had a 26-63 record as the head football coach at Wake Forest.
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Published: January 20, 2009
When Jim Caldwell was introduced as the new coach of the Indianapolis Colts last week, it was a time to look forward to the next chapter in his coaching career.
It was a time to lay out his vision for the franchise as Tony Dungy's hand-picked successor, a time to plot the course in quest of another Super Bowl title to match the one the Colts won two seasons ago.
It was also a time to reflect.
In the early evening hours of Nov. 26, 2000, Caldwell walked out of Ron Wellman's office not knowing where his career was headed. He had just been fired as Wake Forest's football coach, after a 2-9 season that dropped his record to 26-63 in eight seasons.
There were no promises that he would ever be a head coach again -- let alone in the National Football League, let alone with Peyton Manning as his quarterback. There were no promises that he would even find an assistant's job, college or pro.
But he wound up getting a call from Dungy a few months later and an offer to join the staff of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Then he moved on to Indianapolis with Dungy the next season, after both were let go by the Bucs. Caldwell's stature around the NFL has grown ever since, first as Manning's quarterback coach and most recently as the associate head coach.
Funny how things seem to work out for the best.
"There are a lot of highs and lows that go along with winning and losing in this business," Caldwell said in a telephone interview from Indianapolis. "But through it all, we have been really blessed. What we try to do is remain consistent and steadfast and just keep pushing forward."
Caldwell's wife, Cheryl, might have put it best at the news conference last week introducing Caldwell as the Colts' new coach when she talked about perseverance.
"When he was released two years in a row -- from Wake Forest, then after a year with Tony in Tampa -- we didn't fall apart," she said. "We just knew, ‘Things are low now, but eventually we're going to be back on top.' "
That resolve might have shown up best, in fact, the Sunday night that Wellman told Caldwell he was firing him.
Son Jimmy, who continues to live in Winston-Salem, was on his way to study hall and was the first to see Caldwell after the meeting with Wellman. Both went home to share the news with the family.
Jimmy remains proud of the way his father handled the news.
"You know, there was a lot of anger from the kids," Jimmy said. "We didn't understand. This was the first time in his career that situation had happened. Every change we had had before was on his terms, him leaving for a better job. So the firing caught us by surprise, and there was anger, there was sadness.
"But he was the rock of the family. He kind of assured us, ‘Hey, this is the journey we're going through. This is just a chapter of what's going on in your life. Don't hold any grudges, because it'll all work out for the best.' He was a rock. He was unflappable."
Caldwell's faith was strong that day, and it has been a constant since.
"It was a tough and difficult situation," he said. "You kind of feel the rejection and those types of things. You feel that. But overall, I knew there was a greater plan ahead. Didn't know quite what it was going to be -- in fact, when I walked out of Ron's office I was wanting to make certain that I could call Cheryl and find Jimmy to let him know before he heard it from another source, and there he was in the parking lot on his way to study hall. So that all just worked out right. I was able to tell him, and then go home and tell the rest of the family.
"That's the way it works. I always had faith. I've always believed and still believe to this day that the Lord has a plan for me and my life, and oftentimes I try not to fret because I know He's in control."
It's not a coincidence, either, that Caldwell wound up getting hired by Dungy -- another coach who is never reluctant to talk about his faith.
"The interesting thing is, when I was released by Wake Forest, I went about three months without any type of employment," Caldwell said. "The big task was to make certain I got my staff situated, to make sure the guys who were working for me down there got placed. And I was finishing up some of my duties with the American Football Coaches Association as president of the ethics committee.
"I had gotten a call from Tony about one of my assistants and a quality-control position, and while he was on the phone with me he said, ‘Hey, have you ever thought about coaching in this league?' I said, ‘Well, not too much. Once in a while, but not too often.' And he said, ‘Well, we may have something you might be interested in.' "
Shortly thereafter, Caldwell was headed to Tampa for his first job in the NFL.
A year after that, he was on to Indianapolis to be Manning's personal coach. Then came the Super Bowl ring, then he was named the heir apparent to Dungy last winter. He had interviewed for six other NFL head-coaching jobs in the previous three years.
Caldwell has nothing but good things to say about his years at Wake Forest. He and Cheryl maintain an offseason home in Clemmons, and all four of their children live in the Carolinas.
"It was an invaluable experience, and there are a lot of things that served me well," he said. "That was quite a few years ago, and obviously I've grown and matured over the years. But I really honed my leadership skills on that campus and in that environment. I had an opportunity to really test myself in terms of seeing what I would be like under fire and handling so many difficult situations at times, and fighting against the odds.
"It was a tremendous opportunity for me to apply some of the skills and things I had learned from some of the great leaders I had worked for in the past -- the (Howard) Schnellenbergers and (Rey) Dempseys and (Joe) Paternos and Coach (Denny) Green. So it was a great proving ground for me. I have a great appreciation for the lessons learned there."
■ John Delong can be reached at jdelong@wsjournal.com.
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