Great Coaching Resources 

A Deeper Dive into Coaching

The Genius and Legacy of Bill Walsh

"He knew me well before I knew myself and knew what I could accomplish well before I knew that I could accomplish it. That's a coach. That's the ultimate talent anyone could have. I said in my Hall of Fame speech that he was the most important person in football in the last 25 years, and I don't think there's any debate about that."

--Steve Young, former San Francisco 49er quarterback, remembering Bill Walsh.

"The thing I remember about Bill as a teacher is, no matter what the situation, he was a consummate teacher. He was meticulous in his presentation. He never rushed himself. When he would sit and present a concept - even if it was a concept that had been presented 1,000 other times - there would be a couple salient points that he would come back to. He made sure the players understood: 'We have to do this.'

"It was that purity of that teaching mentality that was a big part of his success."

--Brian Billick, Baltimore Ravens head coach, who helped Bill Walsh write the book "Finding the Winning Edge."

This enlightening 2007 article from Sports Illustrated dives deep into the legend of Bill Walsh, the San Francisco 49er icon, who, after a long battle with leukemia, died on July 30, 2007.

Don't Let Pete Carril Hear You Say It's The Princeton Offense

Here is an article from the NY Times about the resurgence of the Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball team and the pioneer of the "Princeton offense."

John Wooden 

The Wizard of Westwood: Builder of the Pyramid of Success

"There is no perfect season. You can have a season where you win all your games. But that is far from perfect.

"The other teams you played scored points and your team made mistakes. Maybe a lucky bounce actually won you a game or two. No, winning doesn't make you perfect."

--John Wooden, responding to questions about coaching during his four perfect undefeated seasons with the UCLA Bruins.

"I never even mentioned trying to win games to my teams. I did talk about perfection. I said it was not possible. But I said it's not impossible to try for it. That's what we did in every practice and game."

The John Wooden-coached UCLA teams scaled unprecedented heights that no future organization in any sport is likely to approach. Under the masterful guidance of Wooden, the Bruins set all-time records with four perfect 30-0 seasons, 88 consecutive victories, 38 straight NCAA tournament victories, 20 PAC 10 championships, and 10 national championships, including seven in a row.

Wooden's big break came in 1948, when he accepted the head coaching position at UCLA. Although he would not win his first national title until 15 years later, Wooden began laying the groundwork for what would become the dynasty of all dynasties. He believed in lengthy practices for conditioning and endless drills to perfect fundamental skills.

Considered one of the finest teachers the game has ever seen, Wooden's approach rested on the idea that basketball is a game of threes: forward, guard, center; shoot, drive, pass; ball, you, man; conditioning, skill, teamwork. The latter was taught by coach Lambert at Purdue and forms the three blocks at the core of Wooden's own Pyramid of Success. The Pyramid is a well-known by-product of the Wooden coaching era. The principles outlined in it form the basis of Wooden's outlook on life and explain much of his success on and off the court. His ability to instill these principles upon his players made Wooden a master of developing talent. His premier players included All-Americans Walt Hazzard, Gail Goodrich, Lew Alcindor, Lucius Allen, Mike Warren, Sidney Wicks, Curtis Rowe, Henry Bibby, Bill Walton, Keith Wilkes, Richard Washington and Dave Meyers.

In a highlight-filled career, Wooden's coaching genius was often challenged. One such classic game was played on Jan. 20, 1968. Wooden's number-one-ranked Bruins, led by Alcindor, lost 71-69 to second-ranked University of Houston, led by Hall of Famer Elvin Hayes. The first-ever televised collegiate game was a showcase for Wooden and college basketball. It was played before 52,693 raucous fans at the Houston Astrodome. Interestingly, on its way to the 1968 NCAA title, UCLA would avenge its loss to Houston in tournament action. John Wooden, a six-time Coach of the Year, dedicated his life to basketball. His perseverance and endurance was rewarded, as he is one of only Three people enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame as both a player and a coach.

John Wooden: The Wizard of Westwood 

Secrets from the legendary UCLA head basketball coach

The John R. Wooden Course

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Charlie Rose: December 15, 2000

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Bill Walsh 

San Francisco 49er Mastermind and West Coast Offensive Genius

Without a doubt, Bill Walsh is clearly one of the greatest coaches in NFL history. His achievements during his 10 years as head coach of the San Francisco 49ers are virtually unparalleled in the sport. Recognized as one of football's great minds, Coach Walsh has tutored quarterbacks such as Joe Montana and Steve Young, as well as Super Bowl coaches George Siefert, Mike Holmgren and Sam Wyche.

Under Walsh's direction the 49ers experienced heights of victory never reached prior to his arrival as head coach in 1979. He was appointed the team's General Manager in 1982 and ascended to the role of President in 1985. During this period, Bill Walsh was responsible for all major organizational decisions. During the 10-year tenure (1979-88), Walsh laid the foundation of success that the 49ers have achieved over the last 20 years, including the beginning (1983) of an unprecedented streak of 16 consecutive 10-win seasons.

Under Walsh's direction, the 49ers won three Super Bowl titles (1981, '84 and '88), made seven NFC postseason appearances and claimed six NFC West division championships. He was twice named NFL Coach-of-the-Year (1981, 1984) and was later named NFL Coach-of-the-Decade for the 1980s.

Walsh's impact on the coaching industry is apparent by the rise of former assistants, players and people who have come under his influence, including Dennis Green, Mike Holmgren, Mike Shanahan, Ray Rhodes, Jeff Fisher, Sam Wyche, Rod Dowhower, Bruce Coslet, Sherman Lewis, Brian Billick, Gary Kubiak, George Seifert, Jon Gruden, Paul Hackett, Tom Holmoe, Dwaine Board, Bobb McKittrick, Bill McPherson, Tom Rathman, Harry Sydney and Tom Lovat. In 1987, Walsh created the Minority Coaching Fellowship program that has produced, among others, Notre Dame's current head coach, Tyronne Willingham, Cincinnati Bengals current head coach, Marvin Lewis and NFL assistants Bobby Turner, Don Martin, Don Treadwell and Al Simmons, current assistant secondary/cornerbacks coach of the 49ers. The NFL later adopted this Fellowship as a league-wide program.

Bill Walsh died of leukemia on July 30, 2007.

Pat Summitt 

Tennessee's Women's Basketball Coach

The NCAA's winningest collegiate basketball coach, Summitt garnered yet another career milestone on Jan. 22, 2004, when she coached in her 1,000th collegiate game.

The 52-year-old head coach, who took over the reins of the program at the age of 22, eclipsed the 800 career victory plateau midway through her 29th season with a 76-57 win over 24th-ranked DePaul on Jan.14, 2003. In doing so, she became the first woman in all of NCAA Division I basketball to accomplish such a lofty goal.

The 800-victory plateau is an amazing feat reached by just a handful of legendary coaches - Summitt (882 victories), Smith (879-254, .776), Adolph Rupp (876-190, .822), Jody Conradt (869-278, .758; still active), Bob Knight (854-332, .720; still active), Jim Phelan (830-524, .613), Clarence Gaines (828-447, .649), Jerry Johnson (821-447, .647) and Don Meyer (814-279, .745; still active). In reaching the 800-milestone in 29 seasons at Tennessee, she achieved 800 wins faster than any basketball coach, ever. Additionally, wins 700-800 took just three years and 39 days to collect.

Sometimes it is truly mind-boggling to realize just what all she has accomplished during her illustrious career.

There are many achievements a coach can garner during her career. Some are lucky enough to hit milestone wins ... others are fortunate to grab their conference championship ... a very few make it to the Big Dance ... a select few can be called national championship or Olympic coaches. For others it is developing their players to achieve All-Conference, All-America or, for the elite few, WNBA and Olympic status. Then there is the handful of the coaching legends that are elected to the Basketball Halls of Fame.

Tom Landry 

The Classy Coach of the Dallas Cowboys

Tom Landry paced the sidelines as the "only head coach" in Dallas Cowboys history for 29 years in his trademark fedora. By the time Landry's coaching career ended following the 1988 season, he had compiled a 270-178-6 record, the third most wins in NFL history.

That distinguished career was good enough for Landry to gain entry into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1990 and the Cowboys Ring of Honor in 1993, thanks to leading the Cowboys to two Super Bowl titles, five Super Bowl appearances, five NFC Championships, 13 division titles and an incredible 20 consecutive winning seasons.

Landry's head coaching career did not start out very smoothly, coming over from the New York Giants staff to take over the expansion Cowboys in 1960. That first year ended with an 0-11-1 in 1960, the tie coming against Landry's former team the Giants, preventing the Cowboys from going winless. The Cowboys went on to suffer through losing seasons in the first five years, before going 7-7 in 1965.

But from that point on, Landry turned the franchise into "America's Team," the Cowboys reeling off 20 consecutive winning seasons from 1966-85, one of the longest winning streaks in all of professional sports.

As a player-coach with the Giants before coming to the Cowboys, Landry helped to develop what would eventually become a base defense in the NFL, the 4-3. It was innovations like this that caught the attention of Cowboys owner Clint Murchison Jr. and president Tex Schramm when it came time to select the franchise's first head coach.

As head coach of the Cowboys, Landry introduced more innovations to the game, including offensive motion. Very seldom did the Cowboys run a play from the formation they initially lined up in after breaking the huddle. Landry brought back the shotgun formation, popularized situational substitutions and concocted the "Flex" defense.

Walking the sidelines characteristically stoic, Landry was always thinking a couple of plays ahead and what the long-term effects of each play he called might be. He coached football as if it were a chess match, positioning his team in the best way to win in the end. And in the end, no one coached with more success for a longer period of time than Landry.

Don Haskins 

The Big Bear: 1966 NCAA Basketball Champion and Pioneer

Don Haskins was the head coach at Texas Western College from 1961 to 1999, including the 1966 season when that school's basketball team won the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship over the Wildcats of the University of Kentucky, coached by hoops legend Adolph Rupp.

The 1966 NCAA Championship had societal implications well above its sporting ones. Texas Western had been recruiting and playing African American players in the 1950s, when no schools in the Southeastern Conference or the former Southwest Conference would offer them athletic scholarships. When Haskins arrived in El Paso, he had inherited three black players from his coaching predecessor. One of them, Nolan Richardson, would go on to win a national title as the head coach at Arkansas.

Haskins recruited and played black players to an even greater extent. Rupp, conversely, was largely regarded as a supporter of racial segregation, or at least very reluctant to recruit black players, although this assessment is not completely supported by all evidence, and remains controversial to this day. After Texas Western dropped Utah and Kentucky defeated Duke in the national semifinals, the championship game was played on national television, and to the consternation of most pundits, Haskins chose to play an all-black starting lineup; the team defeated Rupp's all-white one.

The game was not as large an upset as was often depicted after the fact; both teams were 27-1 entering the final game, and Texas Western was ranked #3 in that season's final polls. However, it is safe to say that the Texas Western team was not highly regarded at the start and through most of that season, and were seen as the "Cinderella Team." It is true that the 1966 Miners were the first team in NCAA basketball to have an all-black starting lineup. It is also true that Texas Western, before Haskins' arrival, was the first college in a Southern state to integrate its athletic teams.

This game did much to change the perception of African-American athletes and to speed the desegregation of intercollegiate sports.

Coach Haskins at 78 died in September of 2008.

Phil Jackson 

The Zen Master of the NBA

Jackson was the head coach of the NBA's Chicago Bulls from 1989 to 1998, and of the Los Angeles Lakers from 1999 to 2004 and again from 2005 to present. Jackson has a total of 10 NBA championship rings: one as a player with the New York Knicks (as noted earlier, he was injured for all of the 1969-70 championship season), six as coach of the Bulls, and three as coach of the Lakers. His nine NBA championships as a head coach ties him with Red Auerbach for the all-time lead in that category. Phil Jackson also holds the best playoff winning percentage of all-time. As of the end of the 2005-2006 NBA season, Jackson's regular season record stands at 876-353.

his nine years as Bulls coach, Jackson won six championships, losing only in 1990 (his first season), and 1994 and 1995 (when Michael Jordan retired from basketball).

The chemistry between Jackson and his team was untouched and was on a level most coaches could only dream of and never could accomplish. The respect shared between the players and the coach was the key factor to the championships they've achieved.

After the Bulls' final title of the Jordan era in 1998, Jackson left the team vowing never to coach again but after he took a year off he decided to give it another chance with the Lakers.

Jackson took over a talented but underachieving Lakers team, and immediately produced results. In his first year in L.A., the Lakers went 67-15, and won the 2000 NBA championship. Titles in 2001 and 2002 followed.

On June 18, 2004, three days after suffering his first ever loss in an NBA finals series, the Lakers announced that Jackson would leave his position as Lakers coach. That fall, Jackson released The Last Season, a book which describes his point of view of the tensions that surrounded the 2003-04 Lakers team. The book was pointedly critical of Kobe Bryant, but as the book was written in the immediate aftermath of that season's disappointing finish, it may not necessarily reflect Jackson's opinions today.

Without Jackson and O'Neal, the Lakers struggled mightily, going 34-48 in 2004-05. Jackson's successor as coach, Rudy Tomjanovich, resigned midway through the season, immediately leading to speculation that the Lakers might bring Jackson back. On June 15, 2005, The Lakers rehired Phil Jackson, after his one year off from coaching and from the NBA.

Chris Carmichael 

Lance Armstrong's Cycling Coach

Chris Carmichael is the founder, CEO, and President of Carmichael Training Systems and personal coach to cancer survivor and seven-time Tour de France Champion Lance Armstrong. Chris formed CTS in 1999 after spending more than two decades in the sport of cycling.

In 2004, Colorado's Celebrate Technology Coalition named Carmichael Entrepreneur of the Year. Soon after he was honored with the USA Cycling Lifetime Achievement Award. Carmichael was inducted into the U.S Bicycling Hall of Fame in May 2003, and has been honored as the United States Olympic Committee's (USOC) Coach of the Year. He served as the cycling coach during the 1992 and 1996 Olympics and athletes under his direction have won 33 Olympic, World Championships and Pan American Games medals.

Carmichael has served as a keynote speaker for prominent organizations or events, such as NIKE, The American College of Sport Medicine, The Tony Robbins Group, Autoliv, UNISYS, UK World Class Coaching Conference, WRQ Inc., Texas Tech University and the Global Coaching Conference for the USOC
He pioneered and perfected world-class coaching methods and spawned the development of technology through which coaching is currently provided.

Carmichael was a member of the first American team (7-Eleven) to ride in the Tour de France in 1986. He was a member of the 1984 U.S. Olympic Cycling Team.

Red Auerbach 

The Man Behind the Boston Celtics

"It's not what you tell them that's important. It's what they hear." -- an old saying that the late, legendary NBA Boston Celtics head coach and executive Arnold "Red" Auerbach was fond of quoting.

Red Auerbach is the architect and mastermind behind one of the most dominant franchises in professional sports history, the Boston Celtics. The cigar-chomping Auerbach wasn't a passive bench coach, but an aggressive, demanding and often volatile mentor who coached 11 Hall of Famers and led Boston to 10 Eastern Division titles in 16 years. Auerbach's passionate style reaped large rewards. From 1959 to 1966, the Celtics won eight straight NBA championships, a streak unmatched in sports history. His 938-479 (.662) career coaching record currently ranks fifth all-time in NBA history. Auerbach led Boston to 99 playoff victories, third all-time behind Phil Jackson and Pat Riley. Auerbach showcased his coaching prowess in 11 straight All-Star games. He was named NBA Coach of the Year in 1965, and in 1970, was selected as the NBA's 25th Anniversary All-Time Team coach. In 1980, the Professional Basketball Writers Association of America (PBWAA) named Auerbach the greatest coach in the history of the NBA. Auerbach began his coaching career in 1946 in the BAA with the Washington Capitals and led them to the 1947 and 1949 division titles. In 1950, Auerbach became head coach of the Boston Celtics. After coaching, Auerbach joined the Celtics front office full-time and in 1980 was named NBA Executive of the Year.

Red Auerbach died in 2006.

Vince Lombardi 

"Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing."

In 1958, the 45-year-old assistant coach of the New York Giants was tired of being an assistant. He accepted a challenging five-year contract in Wisconsin as the general manager and head coach of perpetual losers the Green Bay Packers. At the time, the Packers had no clout in professional football (they won only one game the previous year), and Vince saw them as a chance to prove himself and his coaching abilities. Vince held the first of his notoriously intense training camps to gear up for the 1959 season. "Dancing is a contact sport," he told the Packers, "Football is a hitting sport." Vince expected obedience, dedication and 110% effort from each man, but he also made a promise to them: if they obeyed his rules and used his method, they would be a championship team.

Three years later, that promise became a reality. At Lambeau Field in Green Bay on December 31, 1961, Vince watched proudly as the Packers defeated the New York Giants 37-0 for the National Football League championship.

Despite long hours and fierce competition, Vince never put forth anything but his best effort. Just as he drilled his men to be the paramount players in professional football, he challenged himself.

In 1967, after nine phenomenal winning seasons with the Packers, Vince decided to retire as head coach (though he would still act as general manager). The Packers had dominated professional football under his direction, collecting six division titles, five NFL championships, two Super Bowls (I and II) and acquiring a record of 98-30-4. They had become the stick by which all other teams were measured.

In January of 1970, his professional coaching record stood at a remarkable 105-35-6, unmarred by a losing season, and the NFL named him their acclaimed "1960s Man of the Decade."

Vince helped the men he coached succeed to the furthest of their abilities. He brought them pride and victory, and his legacy of perseverance, hard work and dedication has made him one of the most admired and well respected coaches in history.

Vince Lombardi was inducted into the Professional Football Hall of Fame in 1971. That same year, the Super Bowl trophy was renamed the Vince Lombardi Super Bowl Trophy in his honor. It is considered to be the National Football League's most prestigious award. In 2000, ESPN named him Coach of the Century.

George Haines 

US Olympic Swimming Coach

George is considered the greatest swimming coach ever, coaching such Olympic champions as Mark Spitz and Don Schollander. He founded the famous Santa Clara Swim Club in 1951.

Don Schollander, who won four Olympic gold medals in Tokyo in 1964 and one in Mexico City in 1968, said about Haines, that, "He suggests. He doesn't prescribe. He knows as much about training and mechanics as anyone, but he is truly great because he knows each swimmner."

Haines coached 53 Olympians, who won a total of 44 gold, 14 silver and 10 bronze medals. He was head coach of the US Olympic team three times (1960 Women, 1968 Men, and 1980 Combined). He was also assistant coach for the 1964, 1972 and 1976 Olympic Games.

He also coached the men's team at UCLA from 1974 to 1978 and the Stanford University women through much of the 1980's.

In 2000, Swimming World magazine names Haines the sport's outstanding coach of the 20th century.

Other Coaches of Note 

Masters of Innovation, Execution or Just Plain Winning

Don Nelson: The Second Winningest Coach in NBA History

Don Nelson, currently head coach of the Golden State Warriors, in addition to being second in NBA history in career head coaching wins, has also been considered one of the most innovative coaches ever in basketball history. See this excellent Wikipedia listing for Nelson here.

Great Stuff on Amazon 

What you need to know about coaching

Find out about the art of coaching through these great books and resources.

Leader As Coach: Strategies for Coaching & Developing Others

by: Mary Dee Hicks

Amazon Price: $19.95 (as of 12/02/2008)

Coaching Matters: Leadership and Tactics of the NFL's Ten Greatest Coaches

by: Brad Adler

Amazon Price: (as of 12/02/2008)

The Education of a Coach

by: David Halberstam

Amazon Price: $16.47 (as of 12/02/2008)

When Pride Still Mattered : A Life Of Vince Lombardi

by: David Maraniss

Amazon Price: $13.14 (as of 12/02/2008)

Basketball's Biggest Upset: Texas Western Changed the Sport With Win over Kentucky in 1966

by: Ray Sanchez

Amazon Price: (as of 12/02/2008)

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