The NFL pre-season scheduled kicked off last week. To help fans and leaders prepare for the upcoming season, below are 15 books you should put on your reading list.
These will be listed in alphabetical order by author with the exception of the first two which I consider two of finest leadership books I have ever read, regardless of genre. These books will entertain, educate, and make you a better leader. You will want to have these as resources in your personal library. Trust me, I know!
If you don’t have these please click the links below and purchase today!
- The Score Takes Care of Itself: My Philosophy of Leadership by Bill Walsh – This is one of Top 3 leadership books I have ever read. Bill Walsh is a towering figure in the history of the NFL. 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.
- Gridiron Genius: A Master Class in Building Teams and Winning at the Highest Level by Michael Lombardi – To my knowledge, only one person has worked under Bill Walsh, Al Davis, Bill Belichick and served alongside Nick Saban, his name is Michael Lombardi. Football dynasties are built through massive attention to detail and unwavering commitment. From how to build a team, to how to watch a game, to understanding the essential qualities of great leaders, Gridiron Genius gives football fans the knowledge to be the smartest person in the room every Sunday. His next book Football Done Right releases on September 5th and is listed below. I will be getting that book as well.
- Chasing the Bear: How Bear Bryant and Nick Saban Made Alabama the Greatest College Football Program of All Time by Lars Anderson. Both Bear Bryant and Nick Saban are undeniable kings of college football, two coaches at Alabama who have each won more national championships — six and seven — than anyone else in the history of the game. CHASING THE BEAR examines how they did it, revealing along the way their similarities in style, background, football philosophy, and recruiting methods, while providing readers a rare inside look at two of the greatest leaders in the history of sports.
- The Dynasty by Jeff Benedict – The book is definitely better than the documentary! Starting with the Drew Bledsoe injury and what subsequently happened at the hospital is the most compelling introduction of a book you will ever read. How was the Patriots dynasty built? And how did it last for two decades? In The Dynasty, acclaimed journalist Jeff Benedict provides richly reported answers in a sweeping account based on exclusive interviews with more than two hundred insiders—including team executives, coaches, players, players’ wives, team doctors, lawyers, and more—as well as never-before-seen recordings, documents, and electronic communications.
- Win Forever: Live, Work, and Play Like a Champion by Pete Carroll and Yogi Roth – 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.
- A Giant Win: Inside the New York Giants’ Historic Upset over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII by Tom Coughlin – Super Bowl XLII was the greatest upset in NFL history. In A GIANT WIN, Coach Tom Coughlin recounts the strategies and people that made it possible. Coach Coughlin reveals the intricacies of the game, revealing details only a coach would know. He also details, more than ever before, his relationships with some of the greatest, most iconic players of those Giants teams, like Eli Manning and Michael Strahan.
- The QB: The Making of Modern Quarterbacks by Bruce Feldman. To tell the story of all that goes on to create the perfect quarterback, bestselling author Bruce Feldman gained unique access to “Johnny Football” (that’s Johnny Manziel), George Whitfield and many other players in what has become a specialized and high-stakes business. In the past decade the boom of the private quarterback-coach business, with its pageant-world-for-boys vibe, has changed the position and the game. The QB tells the story of the interlocking paths of the most fascinating characters involved in this secretive world, examining how advanced analysis has taken root in football. In The QB, the stories of the men illustrate how high the stakes of the quarterback’s game really are, taking readers on a compelling journey into the heart of America’s beloved game.
- Guts and Genius: The Story of Three Unlikely Coaches Who Came to Dominate the NFL in the 80’s 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. Walsh, Gibbs and Parcells developed such NFL stars as Joe Montana, Lawrence Taylor, Jerry Rice, Art Monk and Darrell Green. They resurrected the careers of players like John Riggins, Joe Theismann, Doug Williams, Everson Walls and Hacksaw Reynolds. 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.
- Coaching Confidential: Inside the Fraternity of NFL Coaches by Gary Myers – Coaching Confidential chronicles a year in the life of an NFL head coach. But not just one 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 by Phil Savage – This is the best book I have read for unpacking the elements of Alabama Crimson Tide’s head coach Nick Saban’s legendary “The Process”. 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’s 4th and goal.
- Sideline CEO: Leadership Principles from Championship Coaches by Marty Smith – From ESPN’s authentic, popular, and intrepid correspondent Marty Smith—SIDELINE CEO details key leadership principles Marty has learned from championship coaches he’s interviewed over the past two decades. Also releasing September 26th, SIDELINE CEO delves into the unique psychology and daily preparation and gameplan execution of some of America’s most respected leaders—the coaches who have led hugely successful programs to win it all. Included among the legends whom Marty interviewed for SIDELINE CEO are: Nick Saban, Mack Brown, Kim Mulkey, Doc Rivers, John Calipari, Tim Corbin, Roy Williams, Tom Izzo, Patty Gasso, Dabo Swinney, Frank Beamer, and many others.
- ***Special Request*** Mighty: 7 Skills You Need to Move from Pandemic to Progress by Brian Dodd – Yes, this is my latest book and I hope you purchase several copies if you haven’t already. Production. Passion. Resilience. Teamwork. Contentment. Courage. Faith. These seven skills were embodied over three thousand years ago by a group of elite warriors known as David’s Mighty Men. These highly-capable individuals helped take David, the man who had previously defeated Goliath, from a wilderness experience to leading a nation. I want you to know the same skills used by David’s’ Mighty Men still work today. In my new book Mighty: 7 Skills You Need to Move from Pandemic to Progress, I show you how applying these skills can help you become Mighty and move from the Pandemic to Progress.
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