Lead for God’s Sake is a great little book that was given to me by Keith Tyler. Keith is the head of the West Virginia Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Keith was also an outstanding athlete. He ended his basketball playing days at The University of Charleston as their second all time leading scorer. In my [...]

Paul Brown By: Andrew O’Toole The term “genius” is tossed around pretty lightly these days. If a coach has one good season some ESPN type is likely to tag the label “genius” to him. However, Paul Brown is truly worthy of that label. Brown literally re-invented professional football. He was so good they named the [...]

Mindset is a book that was given to me by my daughter Annie. She thought I would enjoy it and she was absolutely correct. This book is beneficial to anyone involved in teaching or coaching. I’m always looking for ways to become a better teacher because after all is said and done – coaching is [...]

The Trailblazers By: Oree Banks Oree Banks & I have been friends for over 30 years and over that period of time I have found him to be a source of valuable coaching advice. Coach Banks has a wealth of experience at every level of coaching. But in addition to his expertise in football; he [...]

Moneyball By: Michael Lewis On September, 23rd the movie “Moneyball” is coming out in movie theaters. It will be starring Brad Pitt so you should be able to get your wife to go. However, the book: Moneyball by Michael Lewis is a book that is worth reading for every football coach. I would recommend to [...]

Strength’s Finder 2.0 By: Tom Rath Regardless of your situation one of the most important things you should know is what your strengths are. If you are a young coach just starting out in the business or a grizzled old vet this book by Tom Rath is a worthwhile read. The basic premise of Rath’s [...]

In 1979 and 1980 I served as an assistant coach for the University of Pennsylvania. I was 29 and had just come off four years as Iona College’s Head Football Coach. We won two conference championships and I was coach of the year twice. I thought I invented the game. But at UPENN I worked [...]

During the summer I always like to read a couple of books on team building. One of the most important tasks of a coach is to build a team. This is particularly difficult in today’s narcissistic society that has a “me first” attitude. But what separates winning teams from losing teams is often time is [...]

Tom Olivadatti is a coach’s coach. He has coached at every level of football from high school to the NFL. I’ve known Tom for many years and he always has great insights into the game. In the 80s when he was with the Browns, he spoke at my clinic at Mercyhurst College and did a [...]

John Maxwell is one of the most prolific writers today on the subject of leadership, teamwork and success. He breaks down very complex topics into simple, easy to understand teaching. I like his bullet-point and numbering outline style of writing. His book The 17 Indisputable Laws of Teamwork is a must read for anyone who [...]