Wooden's Wisdom - Volume 8 | Issue 326 |
Craig Impelman Speaking | Championship Coaches | Champion's Leadership Library Login | |
STAND AND FIGHT AGAIN (BILL WALSH) Bill Walsh is regarded as one of the greatest coaches in NFL history. As the head coach of the San Francisco Forty-Niners from 1979 to 1988, Walsh won three Super Bowls. He is one of four coaches in NFL history to win three or more Super Bowls.
When Walsh took over the 49ers in 1979 they were a rag tag bunch that had gone 2-14 the previous season. He immediately implemented his own performance standards which included: "no shirttails out," "positive attitude," "promptness," "good sportsmanship (no strutting, no posturing, no cheap shots)," "never sit down while on the practice field," "no tank tops in the dining area," "control of profanity," "no fighting," "treat fans with respect and exhibit a professional demeanor," and many more.
It was not a quick fix. The 49ers went 2-14 again in his first season. The next year started better with three wins but then they lost eight games in a row. Their eighth loss was in Miami. In his excellent book with Steve Jamison and Craig Walsh The Score Takes Care of Itself Walsh describes his plane ride home after the game:
Coaches aren't supposed to cry, but I'm not ashamed to admit that on the night flight back to San Francisco I sat in my seat in the first row of the plane and broke down sobbing in the darkness.
Most debilitating of all—devastating—was a gnawing fear that I didn't have what it takes to be an NFL head coach. At one point I actually decided to hand in my resignation the next morning; then I changed my mind.
Coach Walsh decided to go with his mantra: Stand and Fight Again. In his book, he goes on to list his rules for dealing with disappointment:
MY FIVE DOS FOR GETTING BACK INTO THE GAME:
MY FIVE DON'TS: 1. Don't ask, "Why me?" 2. Don't expect sympathy. 3. Don't bellyache. 4. Don't keep accepting condolences. 5. Don't blame others.
What's your checklist to: Stand and Fight Again?
Yours in Coaching, Craig Impelman
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