Later today the Alabama Crimson Tide will face the Michigan Wolverines and the Texas Longhorns will face the Washington Huskies in this year’s College Football Play-offs. As I watched the ESPN College Gameday pre-game show, I captured the following 25 Quotes and Lessons from Alabama head coach Nick Saban, Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh, Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian, Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer and others.
These are leaders leading at the highest level. As we enter into 2024, their insights can help us lead at our highest level as well.
Steve Sarkisian
- Attitude – “I’m a big attitude guy. Life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it.”
- Gratefulness – “I would not be here without Nick Saban.”
- Perseverance – “If we hit a roadblock in life, we don’t have to stay there.”
- Completeness – “We have to play a complete football game.”
Nick Saban
- Adversity – “Adversity makes some people great and breaks some people. How you deal with failings is one of the most important things you do in life but is also one of the important things in competitive sports.”
- Opportunity – “(Alabama quarterback) Jalen (Milroe) really showed the leadership I was looking for so he earned the opportunity to be our quarterback.”
For more on the leadership of Coach Saban, click 12 Leadership Lessons from Coach Nick Saban’s Definition of Mental Toughness.
Jalen Milroe
- Sacrifice – “It’s all about our brotherhood and playing for one another.”
- Effort – “I was there (practice facility) at 4:00 AM every day.”
- Accountability – “I look in the mirror and figure out what I need to do to be the best quarterback I can be… I always try to get better.”
To learn more about the leadership of Milroe, read 7 Things You or Your Organization Need to Get a Miracle – Lessons from the 2023 Iron Bowl “Gravedigger” Play.
Jim Harbaugh
- Inner-Circle – “I have the best staff… Like Moses, I will die leaning on my staff.”
- Destiny – “J.J. McCarthy, he was born to be on this stage playing in this type of game. And it won’t be the last big game he plays in.”
Kalen DeBoer
- Resilience – “No matter what comes our way… we’re going to find a way to come through and get it done.”
- Experience – “We’ve been through the fire many times this year.”
- Practice – “The challenge is to do a great job when you do the drill work and pick up the intensity and make it as game-like as possible.”
To receive more leadership insights from Coach Saban, click HERE or on the image to the left for my new ebook The Leadership Of Nick Saban: Timeless Truths From The Incomparable Head Coach Of The Alabama Crimson Tide. This is an invaluable resource for both sports fans or anyone interested in organizational leadership. Enjoy!