Core Values: USC Football (Pete Carroll)

Three Rules
Rule 1: Always protect the team
Rule 2: No whining, No complaining, No Excuses
Rule 3: Be early

Here's more.

My Coaching Philosophy

I posted an older version of this document last year (my "program philosophy"). I've modified the document since then and wanted to share the latest version:

Areté

I first heard the word 'areté' when listening to Brian Johnson interview Dean Karnazes, ultramarathon runner and author of Road to Sparta. It fits really neatly with the idea of "helping players become the best version of themselves." Areté is defined as "living at your highest potential moment to moment to moment."

Here's a video that describes the concept in more detail: 

Process

"A goal without a plan is a wish." - Antoine de Saint Exupéry

My Favorite Lines: Extreme Ownership By Jocko Willink And Leif Babin

The following are a few of my favorite lines from Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin:

Introduction
"The only meaningful measure for a leader is whether the team succeeds or fails."

"Leaders must own everything in their world. There is no one else to blame."

Chapter 1: Extreme Ownership
"On any team, in any organization, all responsibility for success and failure rests with the leader. The leader must own everything in his or her world. There is no one else to blame. The leader must acknowledge mistakes and admit failures, take ownership of them, and develop a plan to win."

"When subordinates aren't doing what they should, leaders that exercise extreme ownership cannot
blame the subordinates. They must first look in the mirror at themselves. The leader bears full responsibility for explaining the strategic mission, developing the tactics, and securing training and resources to enable the team to properly and successfully execute. If an individual on the team is not performing at the level required for the team to succeed, the leader must train and mentor that underperformer. But if the underperformer continually fails to meet standards, then a leader who exercises extreme ownership must be loyal to the team and the mission above any individual. If underperformers cannot improve, the leader must make the tough call to terminate them and hire others who can get the job done. It is all on the leader."

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To be continued ... 

Terrier Identity

The following is from an article on Huddersfield's David Wagner:

"We call it the Terrier's identity. Exactly the style of football I love is like a terrier. We are not the biggest dog, we are small, but we are aggressive, we are not afraid, we like to compete with the big dogs and we are quick and mobile and we have endurance. We never give up. This small dog has fighting spirit for sure." 

"I don't set targets because sometimes targets are limits and we don't like limits. But I'm not a dreamer, I'm a worker."

How The Astros Went From Baseball's Cellar To The 2017 World Series By Ben Reiter

This is awesome: How The Astros Went From Baseball's Cellar To The 2017 World Series.

"The Astros, though, never claimed to own a crystal ball, or that they would never make a mistake. They always expected to make many of them. Their goal was to make marginally more correct decisions than their competitors in the long haul."

"The most remarkable thing of all about the Astros is this: they told everyone exactly what they were going to do—and then they did it."

Play Like A Beast

"You play at the rhythm you train at. If you train badly, you play badly. If you work like a beast in training, you play the same way." - Pep Guardiola

PJ Fleck Choosing Culture Over Results In 'Year Zero' For Gophers

Here's another good article about PJ Fleck.

"When are you guys going to be tired of being average?" - PJ Fleck, halftime speech 

How To Lead A School From Worst To Best

Why Top Players Have A Greater Influence On Teammates Than You Might Think

How Marcus Mariota Became The Best Leader In The NFL

Here is a great article about Marcus Mariota and his leadership qualities. Here are a few stories:

1. “Last year, there was a rookie who didn’t have a car,” said Ben Jones, the Titans’ center. “Marcus found out and he’d drive the rookie back and forth. Even after games, we’d land late at night, he’d go 30 minutes out of his way.” Who was it? “He didn’t make the team,” Jones said.
2. In the middle of this August, Titans players were roaring and ready for a training camp off-day. As soon as their meetings the night before are done, they are gone. “Everyone’s in a rush to get out,” Cassel said. “There’s these folding chairs in the meeting room that weren’t put away. [Mariota] walks in the back of the meeting room and starts folding them up and going and helping somebody who [would have to do it]. There is no other player who is doing this. I’m ready to get out of there, and I see that and I’m like, ‘Oh, OK, I’ll help too.’” Other playersfollowed suit.
3. Darnell Arceneaux, Mariota’s high school coach, said there was a tradition at Saint Louis High School in Hawaii in which the lowest quarterback on the depth chart would pick up equipment after practice and carry it to the locker room. That tradition stood until Mariota wouldn’t let anyone else pick up balls and cones at practice. “So we’ve got this guy who has already committed to Oregon and he’s bringing in as many footballs as he can,” he said. “It was amazing.”