The following are 10 Books All Football Executives, Coaches, Scouts, Players and Fans Should Read listed in alphabetical except for two notable exceptions. Shown above, each is a must-have for not only football fans but any leader interest in creating a healthy and successful organizational culture.
- The Score Takes Care of Itself: My Philosophy of Leadership by Bill Walsh. This is simply one of the five best leadership books I have ever read regardless of the genre. I have often said if Steve Jobs were a football coach, he would be Bill Walsh. His advanced leadership transformed the San Francisco 49ers from the worst franchise in sports to a legendary dynasty. In the process, he changed the way football is played. Prior to his death, Walsh granted a series of exclusive interviews to bestselling author Steve Jamison. These became his ultimate lecture on leadership. A sheer masterpiece and must-read!!! For more from Coach Walsh read The 17 Principles of Bill Walsh’s Standard of Performance.
- Gridiron Genius: A Master Class in Winning Championships and Building Dynasties in the NFL by Michael Lombardi. One of the best books on building a successful culture you will ever read. Why do some NFL franchises dominate year after year while others can never crack the code of success? For 30 years Michael Lombardi had a front-row seat and full access as three titans–Bill Walsh, Al Davis, and Bill Belichick–reinvented the game, turning it into a national obsession while piling up Super Bowl trophies. Now, in Gridiron Genius, Lombardi provides the blueprint that makes a successful organization click and win–and the mistakes unsuccessful organizations make that keep them on the losing side time and again. To see Lombardi’s TED Talk from this book, click 26 Facts About Creating A Healthy Organizational Culture.
- Win Forever: Live, Work, and Play Like a Champion by Pete Carroll. Carroll developed his unique coaching style by trial and error over his career. He learned that you get better results by teaching instead of screaming, and by helping players grow as people, not just on the field. He learned that an upbeat, energetic atmosphere in the locker room can coexist with an unstoppable competitive drive. He learned why you should stop worrying about your opponents, why you should always act as if the whole world is watching, and many other contrarian insights. Carroll shows us how the Win Forever philosophy really works, both in NCAA Division I competition and in the NFL. He reveals how his recruiting strategies, training routines, and game-day rituals preserve a team’s culture year after year, during championship seasons and disappointing seasons alike. For more on Carroll’s leadership, click 30 Lessons On How Great Coaches Prepare Their Teams For Success.
- The QB: The Making of Modern Quarterbacks by Bruce Feldman. There is no more leadership position in sports than quarterback. This is the best book on the topic. The QB is the story of a year in the making of those star players, and of the most significant year in QB development in sport’s history… with the meteoric rise of various quarterback gurus finally coming to light. George Whitfield, profiled in the New Yorker and called the “Quarterback Whisperer,” gets a regular spot on ESPN’s College GameDay, Trent Dilfer, former Super Bowl quarterback, starts his own qb business, Steve Clarkson, another qb maker, gets profiled on 60 minutes, among many others. It is also the year 5’10” Russell Wilson wins the Super Bowl and for the first time in over 60 years a sub-6-foot QB, Johnny Manziel, gets drafted in the first round, forcing NFL power brokers to re-examine how they look at the position—and the game.
- Guts and Genius: The Story of Three Unlikely Coaches Who Came to Dominate the NFL in the ’80s by Bob Glauber. Bill Walsh, Joe Gibbs and Bill Parcells dominated what may go down as the greatest decade in pro football history, leading their teams to a combined eight championships and developing some of the most gifted players of all time in the process. They did so with a combination of guts and genius, built championship teams in their own likeness, and revolutionized pro football like few others. Their influence is still evident in today’s game, with coaches who either worked directly for them or are part of their coaching trees now winning Super Bowls and using strategy the three men devised and perfected. In interviews with more than 150 players, coaches, family members and friends, GUTS AND GENIUS digs into the careers of three men who overcame their own insecurities and doubts to build Hall of Fame legacies that transformed their generation and continue to impact today’s NFL.
- You Win in the Locker Room First: The 7 C’s to Build a Winning Team in Business, Sports, and Life by Jon Gordon and Mike Smith. The Atlanta Falcons were one play away from going to the Super Bowl. One year later Coach Mike Smith was fired. Why? Step by step, the authors outline a strategy for building a thriving organization and provide a practical framework that give leaders the tools they need to create a great culture, lead with the right mindset, create strong relationships, improve teamwork, execute at a higher level, and avoid the pitfalls that sabotage far too many leaders and organizations. In addition to sharing what went right with the Falcons, Smith also transparently shares what went wrong his last two seasons and provides invaluable lessons leaders can take away from his victories, success, failures and mistakes. I had the pleasure of hearing them speak at an event together. Click 91 Lessons On Developing A Winning Culture At Your Church or Business for my notes from that session.
- Belichick and Brady: Two Men, the Patriots, and How They Revolutionized Football by Michael Holley. No head coach-quarterback pair has been more successful in NFL history than Bill Belichick and Tom Brady of the New England Patriots. They have won four Super Bowls, six AFC championships, and thirteen division titles. And now Holley takes us inside their relationship, dissecting how these men and their team came to dominate football. For more on the leadership of Brady, read The 3 Words Spoken By Tom Brady Which Show Why He Is Such A Great Leader.
- Above the Line: Lessons in Leadership and Life from a Championship Program by Urban Meyer. Simply a great book! Meyer established himself as one of the elite in the annals of his sport, having lead his players to three national championships. In Above the Line, he offers readers his unparalleled insights into leadership, team building, and the keys to empowering people to achieve things they might never have thought possible. Meyer shares his groundbreaking game plan—the game plan followed every day in the Ohio State Buckeyes’ championship season—for creating a culture of success built on trust and a commitment to a common purpose. I also recommend you check out my post 40 Quotes On Faith And Leadership From Ohio State Coach Urban Meyer.
- Coaching Confidential: Inside the Fraternity of NFL Coaches by Gary Myers. A must-read for every football historian. Coaching Confidential chronicles a year in the life of an NFL head coach. A composite portrait is drawn through interviews with at least 20 current and former head coaches (including Super Bowl winners such as Bill Parcells, Tom Coughlin, Jimmy Johnson, Tony Dungy, Sean Payton, Mike Shanahan, Dick Vermeil, Mike Holmgren, Brian Billick, and Joe Gibbs), taking us through the professional and personal challenges of the job. This book covers the draft, free agency, big trades, training camp, family crisis, player troubles, coaching relationships with members of the staff, coach-owner dynamics, rivalries, Xs and Os, the playoffs–all the way to the Super Bowl.
- 4th and Goal Every Day: Alabama’s Relentless Pursuit of Perfection by Phil Savage. Finally, a book that effectively captures the culture of the Alabama Crimson Tide and Nick Saban’s process. Through those years of observation, now comes his 360-degree perspective on Alabama football and Coach Nick Saban’s unique coaching style, a style that has led the Crimson Tide to five Southeastern Conference titles, three consecutive College Football Playoff appearances and five national championships. In his words, Savage details Coach Saban’s year-round preparation, his willingness to adjust and his belief in “complimentary football.” The book offers a close look at their player development and practice habits and gives a glimpse of the Crimson Tide’s approach of playing every single down like it is 4th and goal.
- ***BONUS*** Warren Sharp’s 2019 Football Preview – This is the most comprehensive football book from an analytics perspective I have ever read. Simply the best pre-season football book I have read. Sharp’s 259-page full color 2019 Football Preview is unlike anything you have seen before. Stunning visualizations built with the reader in mind and innovative, next level thought process abound in every team chapter and article. This book shares insights into the players, coaches, teams and philosophies with one goal in mind: to get you prepared for the 2019 season by delivering the smartest information in the fastest, most direct way possible for optimal reviewing and retention.
My book Timeless: 10 Enduring Practices Of Apex Leaders is available for purchase. If you have ever wanted to become the leader God created you to be, this book is for you! By combining leadership lessons from biblical heroes like Jesus, Daniel and Joseph, along with modern day leaders like Bill Gates, Nick Saban, Kobe Bryant and multiple pastors, Timeless will equip and inspire you. This book is not to be read alone. Discussion questions are included in each chapter allowing you to develop those in your circle of influence. Click HERE or on the image provided and order your copies TODAY.