Indianapolis Colts head coach Tony Dungy to return for 2008

That answers the inevitable question.

Indianapolis head coach Tony Dungy will return to the helm of the Colts for the 2008 season, reports NFL Network's Adam Schefter.

The Colts have called a press conference for 4:30 p.m. ET today that will include Dungy, owner Jim Irsay, general manager Bill Polian and assistant head coach Jim Caldwell.

Dungy, the first black head coach to win a Super Bowl, pondered retirement for a third straight year before reaching his decision. The 52-year-old signed a three-year contract extension in September 2005, a deal intended to keep him with the Colts through 2009.

Dungy has said in the past he never intended to be a "lifer" in football and that he initially planned to retire by the time he was 50.

Dungy is 127-65 in 12 seasons as a head coach, finishing his six-year career in Tampa Bay as the franchise's winningest coach. He is the only Colts coach to get double-digit victory totals and earn playoff berths in six straight seasons. He led the Buccaneers to the NFC championship game in 1999 and has been to the AFC championship game twice with the Colts, following the 2003 and 2006 seasons.

In 2007, the Colts became the first team in league history to win at least 12 games in five consecutive years, and Indy has won five straight AFC South titles. Dungy also has been an assistant coach with Minnesota, Kansas City and Pittsburgh and spent three seasons in the late '70s playing for the Steelers and San Francisco 49ers.

Glad to have you back, Coach Dungy.