“2 of the classiest and certainly most knowledgeable figures in NFL history!! And you remove them?? 😳” Favre posted on X.
Reports indicate that the Hall of Fame has notified more than 20 voters that their tenure on the panel is ending. Dungy is among those affected, joined by Lisa Salters, Rick Gosselin, Tony Grossi, Ron Borges, Darin Gantt, Clark Judge, Geoff Hobson, Jason Cole, Armando Salguero, Mary Kay Cabot, Matt Maiocco, Bill Polian, Joel Bussert, Paul Gutierrez, and others.
Veteran voters Frank Cooney and John McClain spent 33 years on the Hall’s ballot, while Dungy and Salters contributed six years. The criteria used to justify the reduction in voting members has not been publicly disclosed.
It was reported that McClain, who served for decades, wrote that he was told he didn’t make the cut moving from 50 to 28, including three non-voting members, under the new by-laws.
The Hall’s President and CEO provided context for the restructuring. He said returning to an in-person meeting with 28 selectors would foster robust dialogue and debate around the candidates. The goal remains to elect the most deserving individuals, irrespective of category.
Controversy also surrounded Vahe Gregorian of the Kansas City Star, who remains on the panel. Gregorian had previously sparked debate by revealing that he did not vote for Belichick, though voting members are not supposed to disclose their selections.
Dungy’s résumé speaks for itself. He became the first African American head coach to win a Super Bowl and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2016 after a 13-year coaching career, finishing with a 148-79 record as a head coach.
Dungy’s path onto the committee began in 2020 when the Hall’s Board of Trustees approved him for an at-large vacancy. At that time, the Hall’s official noted that Dungy’s extensive experience across players, coaches, and personnel would be invaluable to the selection process.
Now, however, the committee has been reorganized. The group is shrinking from 50 members to 28, with 25 voting members and three non-voting participants who rotate annually. Team representatives have been removed, replaced by 27 at-large voters and a single seat for the Pro Football Writers of America.
It remains unclear whether Dungy voted for Belichick in the most recent cycle. After the class of 2026—featuring Drew Brees, Luke Kuechly, Adam Vinatieri, Roger Craig, and Larry Fitzgerald—was finalized, Dungy criticized the backlash surrounding the voting process. He said the public perception that the panel voted against Belichick was inaccurate and emphasized that the same vote two years ago would have produced a different outcome for Belichick and another deserving Hall of Famer.
With 16 spots and three non-voting roles still to be filled, the fate of the remaining former selectors and the future composition of the committee remains uncertain.
