Some men are great leaders and some are heroes. You can be a great leader and not a hero, but Martin Luther King Jr. was both. Martin Luther King Jr. was a hero because he gave all he could give without expecting anything in return. He was not one of these so-called leaders or activists [...]

Talent is Overrated By: Geoff Colvin I am a big fan of the book The Talent Code by Daniel Coyle which I reviewed earlierhttp://tonydemeo.com/book-reviews/the-talent-code-by-daniel-coyle/. I would again highly recommend it to any teacher or coach. Geoff Colvin also goes into the question of where does great performance come from. Every coach in America or around [...]

When you talk about great coaches, of any sport one name that is sure to surface is Vince Lombardi. Of course there are other great coaches like John Wooden, Bear Bryant, Red Auerbach and Joe Paterno who are also icons. But Vince Lombardi was something special. He transcended the game of football. Lombardi’s tedious rise [...]

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 [...]